Episode 89

Ismail disliked Azadine from the very beginning.

From a young age, children of the Messenger Clan were thrown into ruthless competition. For those with no resources or family background, failing to prove their worth during the selection process meant living as a failure for the rest of their lives.

But someone who should have been one of those failures—a reject—became a messenger. Even with the support of an elder as his patron, Azadine’s appointment was shockingly unconventional, and many harbored resentment about it. Yet, despite his position, he had the audacity to speak about the honor of the Emperor’s messengers.

The people of Hubris dismissed the Aragasa as soulless, so what kind of honor could there be in protecting them?

No one from the Aragasa would agree with such a notion. And why was someone who failed the selection test, who couldn’t even use magic, given the authority to decide such matters?

‘Though I can’t deny his skills….’

Ismail had to acknowledge Azadine’s strength, especially after recalling how he subdued the Count of Salasma. Still, Ismail couldn’t shake the revulsion he felt whenever he saw Azadine—it was as though insects were crawling on his skin.

“Azadine speaks the truth. We are the Emperor’s messengers, and our mission was originally an honorable one. We forgot that because of the persecution we faced.”

Medium’s words irritated Ismail What irritated Ismail even more was how Mediam had begun siding with Azadine. Her defense of his words and actions revealed an unmistakable favor toward him, which deeply annoyed Ismail.

Why was it Azadine—someone she barely knew—who caught her attention, instead of him, the one who had always been by her side, serving her? Especially when Azadine didn’t even have eyes!

“Why cling to honor that no one recognizes? Hmm?”

As Ismail muttered sarcastically, his connection with the reconnaissance spell suddenly broke.

“What?!”

Something had attacked and dispelled the spell. But how?

The spell sent an artificial spirit—a barely visible wind elemental—into the sky for reconnaissance. It was so transparent that it was nearly invisible from the ground.

For someone to detect and attack it… this was no ordinary opponent.

“This is bad! Everyone, get up!”

Mediam hurriedly roused the weary women.

“What’s going on?”

“Enemies are coming!”

“Ah, no….”

Shati, the Naga woman, frowned as she sensed the ominous aura approaching from behind.

“Everyone, follow the stream!”

Brand shouted, directing the group.

“But won’t the enemy know where we’re going…?”

The stream was bordered by dense undergrowth, making it the only viable path for moving without light. But wasn’t that the same for the enemy?

“Those who can fight, stay here and hold off the enemy!”

Brand swung his crowbar through the air as he spoke.

‘This old man has lost his mind. Then again, he’s already mad.’

Ismail was thoroughly displeased with everything about this situation.

The runaway slaves scrambled to prepare for their escape, taking a long time to gather their belongings and organize their positions. Just as they finally began moving, an arrow flew from the bushes.

The arrow struck Brand’s crowbar, glanced off, and split his brass washbasin helmet in two.

“Gah!”

Blood poured from Brand’s forehead as he staggered backward. The power of the arrow rivaled that of the Messenger Clan’s archery. It had been fired from an Ashwood longbow.

‘But Azadine already cut off the fingers of the guy who used that bow. Was there another archer?’

Ismail crouched low, bewildered.

“Aah!”

The women, panicked by the sight of Brand bleeding, stood up and screamed, making themselves perfect targets for the enemy’s arrows.

‘How infuriating!’

Ismail cursed internally.

‘Pathetic, useless fools. Instead of fleeing, they panic at the sight of blood. If they were Aragasa, even a twelve-year-old boy would flee first and stitch his stomach wound with a fishing hook later!’

As Ismail fumed at the sight of their incompetence, Mediam shook him.

“Ismail, don’t lose your cool. Into the bushes!”

“Ah, yes!”

Ashamed, Ismail realized he had let his emotions get the better of him. His hatred for the weak made him no different from the very people he despised. But why did their weakness enrage him so much?

As Brand fell and the runaway slaves caused a commotion, the bandits emerged from the bushes.

“You dare burn down our hideout?”

“We treated you like gold and jewels, yet you still don’t know your place?”

The bandits sneered, resembling a pack of wolves prowling through the forest. Even in the dark, their eyes glinted with violence and greed, burning like flames.

“Donear… how much more evil must you commit before you’re satisfied?”

“Well, Sir Brand. I thought your ramblings were just jokes, but it seems you were serious. We didn’t realize we had a real knight among us.”

Donear, the bandit leader, emerged from the shadows of the forest, laughing. Under the faint starlight, his face appeared like a bronze mask coated with gold.

“So, you tried to run. Where were you planning to go? Lantarique? What would you even do there?”

Donear’s tone dripped with mockery.

“Sir Brand, you know I’m here under orders from Count Lantarique. Everything I’ve done was on his command. Do you think you’ll find refuge if you escape to his domain?”

“Ah!”

The runaway slaves gasped in terror at his words.

If Donear was acting under Count Lantarique’s orders, then fleeing to his territory would offer no salvation.

“I’m the only one who can save you. I’ll sell you as slaves. You’ll become servants in wealthy households or, if you’re lucky, second wives. It’s not an ideal life, but wasn’t your life miserable before anyway?”

Even Donear wore a bitter smile as he said this.

“For those who aren’t nobles, everyone in Hubris is miserable. And you… you’re monsters who’ve eaten the flesh of your own families, aren’t you? Cannibalism is a grave sin. If the Holy Knights find out, they’ll burn you alive.”

The runaway slaves trembled with hatred at Donear’s despicable words. After forcing them to eat their family members and shattering their humanity, he was now using that as blackmail!

“Cannibalism?”

Hearing this, Brand gasped. It was as if the horrific memories he had fought to bury were resurfacing.

“Ah….”

The crowbar fell from Brand’s hand.

“Yes, now you remember. Everyone here is guilty of cannibalism. Even you, Sir Brand. Quite the knight, aren’t you?”

“No… that’s a lie! I….”

“Hahaha, I just couldn’t get enough of it. Watching you like this has been so entertaining that I kept you alive.”

As Donear laughed at the trembling Brand, an arrow suddenly flew from the bushes, aimed straight for Donear’s head.

The arrows had been fired simultaneously by Mediam and Ismail, hidden among the bushes.

“Damn it….”

Donear deflected one arrow with his sword and dodged the other. Handling two incoming arrows in a single motion revealed his exceptional swordsmanship. It was evident why he was chosen as the leader of the operatives planted by Count Lantarique.

However, after deflecting the arrows, Donear groaned.

“Urgh!”

Another arrow was already embedded in his head.

The Messenger Clan’s skill with the Two-Stringed Bow—hiding additional arrows within the shadow of the first. Even in broad daylight, it was a difficult technique to counter, let alone in the darkness of night.

Thud!

Donear collapsed, sending the bandits into a panic.

“Boss?!”

“This can’t be happening!”

More arrows began to fly from the bushes.

Thwack!

The bandits were struck down one by one. But then….

“Huh?”

“That didn’t hurt much.”

“Wait a second—this is stuck in my head!”

The bandits looked at the arrows embedded in their bodies, startled. But oddly enough, they felt no pain. Moreover, thread-like worms emerged from the wounds, stitching them closed. Only a little blood seeped out before the bleeding stopped entirely.

“You fools.”

Unable to watch their idiocy any longer, Donear stood up.

“If you act like this, my performance was for nothing. How can you be so dense?”

He pulled the arrow from his head himself, revealing thread-like worms writhing as they closed the hole in his skull.

A monster—shot in the head with an arrow, standing as though nothing had happened, with worms sealing his wounds.

“Boss!”

“You idiots couldn’t even flush out the weaklings. Those kids shooting arrows—they must be the young ones accompanying that messenger Azadine.”

Donear recalled the young boy and girl who had been traveling with Azadine when he last encountered him. It had to be their handiwork.

“What should we do?”

“You, you!”

“Y-yes?!”

“Get into the bushes and find them. It’s just two brats.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Understood!”

Following Donear’s orders, the bandits rushed into the bushes.

“Damn it… how cowardly!”

Brand, regaining consciousness, tried to stand, but Donear walked over, struck him with the hilt of his sword, and sent him sprawling.

“Ha-ha-ha! What a magnificent knight! The Brass Knight!”

As Brand rolled on the ground, Donear raised his foot to kick him, but Delmere charged out and stabbed at Donear. However, Donear easily blocked her attack and grabbed her by the neck.

“Urk!”

“Hey, Delmere. It’s not your turn to act yet. You should’ve stayed quietly in hiding, no matter how bored you were.”

“You… Donear, you bastard!”

Delmere struggled, but Donear lifted her with one hand as though she weighed nothing. It was an inhuman display of strength.

Then Donear noticed an unfamiliar bag hanging at Delmere’s side.

“Hm? What’s this bag? Isn’t this the Naga woman’s?”

Donear opened the bag, and a blinding light spilled out.

“Hmm. Is this what the knight was after? Paper that emits its own light?”

Donear pulled out the glowing sheets from the bag, examining them curiously.

“Could this be…?”

“Yes, it’s the Heavenly King’s Book of Truth!”

The Naga woman, Shati, stepped out from among the runaway slaves.

“The Heavenly King’s Book of Truth, you say?”

Of course, Donear knew what the Heavenly King’s Book of Truth was.

The King’s grimoire.

The source of power for the Yaegas God Tribe.

And now he was holding it in his hands, its self-illuminating pages lending credence to its authenticity.

“Yes. Present that to the Cobra Queen, and she will bestow her favor upon you. Refuse, and you will all die.”

Shati’s words provoked an uproar among the bandits.

“What? You think you can threaten us, snake woman?”

“I’m not saying I’ll kill you. But do you think that knight will spare you?”

The bandits, though enraged, were silenced when Donear raised his hand to calm them.

“Well, well, Naga woman. Interesting. Go ahead, say what you want. If it’s amusing enough, I’ll listen.”

Donear seemed entertained, curious about what Shati would say. But then….

“Yes, I’d like to hear it too.”

A new figure emerged from the bushes.