Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Quartz Throne 7
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‘But he’s strong…. No, how can he be this strong? Even accounting for the fact that I’m not in peak condition. Even if I were at full strength, could I beat this guy?’
Dimia had no choice but to cast a spell, restoring Crasli’s twisted knee.
“Ugh.”
Thanks to the overflowing white mana, Crasli’s body fully recovered. With Azadin’s threat hanging over him, Crasli couldn’t stand and simply watched Azadin warily.
“Who told you to heal him completely?”
“Well, I couldn’t help it. Azadin. I’m not that skilled with white mana either.”
“Come to think of it, how do you even handle white magic? You don’t have a grimoire, do you?”
“Lord Arael gave it to me.”
“Arael did?”
“Yeah. He interpreted a portion of the Divine King Formation Book copy for me. Surprised? He says if we gather all the copies of the Divine King Formation Book, he’ll free us from the curse.”
“Hmm. So that’s why everyone’s so smitten with Arael.”
Azadin was inwardly shocked. To think that just by interpreting a part of the Divine King Formation Book copy obtained by Arael’s faction, she could use healing magic like this.
If all the copies were gathered, wouldn’t that mean Arael alone would master the Divine King Formation Book?
Now he understood why even proud clans like the Etar bloodline supported Arael.
‘Am I really the only traitor here? Is this okay?’
But Azadin changed his mind.
‘No matter what, I can’t justify summoning Nether Messengers and massacring the Hubris folk. If they have that kind of power, why not just gather the Divine King Formation Book copies? Why resort to this pointless slaughter?’
Azadin asked Zibek.
“Sir Zibek. Choke Crasli until he passes out.”
“Pardon? Uh… sure.”
Zibek was flustered. In his eyes, Crasli was no pushover. Choke a guy like that until he fainted?
“Don’t kill him.”
“…….”
As Zibek approached Crasli, the latter hesitated, unsure whether to resist. When their eyes met, Dimia nodded to Crasli.
“Damn. What a humiliating mess.”
Crasli didn’t resist Zibek’s hands around his neck and simply passed out.
“Then let’s head back to the surface. We’ll leave Crasli like this, and Dimia—I’ll tie your hands and feet.”
“…Fine.”
Dimia grumbled as Azadin bound her limbs tightly.
“The blood’s not circulating. Aren’t you tying too tight?”
“If I tie it loose, you’ll slip free.”
“By the way, Azadin, when did you get this strong? I knew you’d mastered the Kazas Sea Book, but this strong? Won’t you share some secrets with your big sis?”
“Thorough preview and review, plus plenty of rest and nutrition.”
“…….”
Azadin’s response was something Dimia used to tell the boy and girl squires under her in their childhood.
Azadin securely bound Dimia’s limbs and hoisted her onto his back.
“Let’s go back to the surface. I can’t let Arael clean up the disaster he summoned and play the savior.”
‘Not bad.’
Flower Dimia inwardly admired Azadin as he carried her through the underground passages.
‘Arael cleans up the disaster he summoned and acts like the savior.’
That pierced right through Arael’s faction’s plan.
Arael’s faction had allied with the nagas, providing interpreted Divine King Formation Book copies in exchange for them scattering King’s Radiance to summon Nether Messengers.
To that end, the sea serpent nagas prepared massive human sacrifices to call forth the Nether Messengers and mobilized an army to invade Coral Sahar.
The sacrifices the nagas paid to unleash this storm, this army, all of it—must be immense.
They’d use the nagas as scapegoats to threaten Coral Sahar, then once the Nether Messengers descended, Arael would take the Coral Sahar throne and use its power to repel them.
By declaring himself the rightful heir to the throne as the emperor’s bloodline, he’d undermine the Royal Church’s authority and proclaim the Herald Clan not as persecuted outcasts, but as saviors who would overcome the coming apocalypse, the Age of Jupiter.
That was Arael’s faction’s plan.
‘The Heralds learn strategy and tactics, but this kid’s sharp. As expected of Arael’s twin? Come to think of it, they say those born under the Curse of Service become the most talented Heralds. I thought only Arael benefited from that curse, but maybe this one did too?’
Dimia was impressed by Azadin’s cleverness.
*********
After swimming through the flooded section, Herald Clan servants were waiting outside.
“Hm?”
“Lady Dimia?!”
They panicked at the sight of Azadin carrying Dimia, her hands and feet bound with rope, like livestock headed to market.
“Oh. Everyone, calm down. It’s because the magic ritual failed. Right?”
“…Yeah.”
Dimia had no choice but to nod.
The servants looked suspicious, but Dimia hugged Azadin and acted friendly.
“It’s Arael’s little brother. Trust him.”
“Huh?”
The onlookers were startled, but Azadin calmly addressed the Herald Clan servants.
“So, how’s the Nether Messenger situation?”
“It’s chaos right now. Some sea serpent nagas are turning into Nether kin…. Even the nagas can’t control them.”
“Prisoners are dying. The frenzied nagas are eating people.”
“The gates are under constant assault, and as the holy knights’ white magic weakens, we’re getting pushed back hard.”
“I see. And Arael?”
“We don’t know exactly where Lord Arael is….”
“He said he’d appear when needed, so he’s probably nearby, but we’re not sure.”
“Got it. Then I’m heading to the royal castle.”
“Yes. What about us?”
“If it gets too dire, it’ll be a headache, so help fend off the nagas. We were allies up to this point, right?”
“Of course. Understood.”
The servants nodded to Azadin and turned to leave.
“Oh, wait. Before that.”
“Yes.”
“Arrows.”
Azadin didn’t forget to restock arrows.
*********
With every flash of lightning, a massive shadow loomed over the sea. Now even those without magical talent could see the Nether Messenger, that shadow.
“Eek!”
“Th-the Age of Jupiter!”
“My god. Gods help us.”
“Eek…. D-don’t look. If we see them, they see us!”
Just the shadow of the Nether Messenger made people tremble.
It hadn’t yet intervened directly in the mortal realm, but even with half its body submerged, the giant’s shadow towered higher than any lighthouse, sapping all will to fight at a mere glance.
“Waaah! I’ll abandon those false gods. Nether God, teach me your name and I’ll devote myself to you!”
Some even begged for mercy from the Nether God, renouncing their faith in the Yaegas divine race.
“Crazy bastards! What the hell? Move!”
Sergeants kicked the frenzied crowd and hauled in wooden furniture to reinforce the doors and entryways.
“Good work.”
Azadin praised their efforts as he strode forward confidently.
“Ugh? You?”
“I’m 108th Herald Azadin of the Emperor! King Ansetus IV commanded me personally—clear the way.”
“…….”
“Recognize this?”
Azadin showed the necklace from Ansetus IV—the underwater breathing necklace.
“Hmm. It’s real.”
The commander, recognizing the king’s usual necklace, looked flustered.
“Tch! That’s what you get allying with Herald scum!”
“Oh. Are you insulting the king right now?”
Azadin asked one of the grumbling sergeants.
“Fine, get inside! Damn it, we’re all dead! What a mess because of that stupid king!”
“Stupid king, huh. When things get tough, you sure switch worship objects easily.”
“Yeah, yap away. If we’re alive tomorrow, we’ll gladly take the punishment!”
The sergeant grumbled but gathered his weapons and moved to his post.
Harsh words, but he fulfilled his duty.
“Hm….”
Azadin noted this and headed toward the royal castle.
*********
-Roooaaar!
Beyond the storm winds, the massive giant god visible from the sea bellowed.
At the same moment, enormous boulders rained from the sky like volcanic ejecta.
They crashed across Coral Sahar’s streets, sending up massive water plumes in flooded areas, smashing into buildings, spires, and stone walls, exploding on impact and killing all nearby.
Those that landed intact uncurled their spherical bodies, standing on multi-jointed legs and countless tentacles, beginning to move across the land.
“Eek!”
“Waaah!”
As soldiers panicked at the monsters pouring from the sky, frenzied sea serpent nagas eagerly approached the round monsters, offering their bodies.
The pillbug-like creatures opened their mouths, revealing jaws as thick as a human arm and sharp as daggers. They pierced the nagas’ skulls, sucking out brains before attaching to the sea serpent nagas’ bodies.
The sea serpent nagas’ eyes rolled back, foam bubbling from their mouths… then they rose as one, dark poison aura seeping from their entire forms.
“Wh-what the hell! What is that!”
“Damn it! Fire!”
Soldiers on the walls loosed bolts from heavy crossbows at the mutated nagas. But the nagas hunched forward, using the scales of the attached Nether monsters to block the iron bolts.
-Clang!
Shockingly, the bolts ricocheted with a metallic ring.
“Huh?”
“N-no way!”
A heavy crossbow could pierce a naga easily.
Yet now they glanced off. Not all—direct hits penetrated—but poorly angled shots slid away.
“My god!”
“Snap out of it! Keep firing! Pike men, block their approach!”
Under the sergeants’ orders, spearmen stepped forward while crossbowmen reloaded.
The desperate battle between the soldiers and the Nether-fused sea serpent nagas raged on through the storm.
*********
Ansetus IV sat with eyes closed upon the Yaegas divine race’s throne, the Quartz Throne.
Lightning flashed outside the window, followed by thunder. In the stark light illuminating the ground, his face was rigid as a statue.
-Rooooaaarrr!
A massive monster’s roar faintly reached through the storm.
Then something poured from the sky. The giant god in the storm spewed from its maw, carried by winds to crash across Coral Sahar’s castle.
Some struck the castle spires, shaking them, the vibration reaching even the throne room.