Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: Usurper 2
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“You said you care about the Hubrites. From what I heard from Midiam… you actually believe in the faith of the Salvation Knights?”
“I’m not really in the mood to talk about that.”
“Lady Aldis is merciful. But most of our clan, unlike her, hunger for blood. There are too many who want to slaughter the Hubrites to vent their pent-up rage. So doesn’t someone need to understand Lady Aldis’s will?”
“Me?”
“Yes. Someone is needed by her side to uphold her words and comfort her. Honestly, it’s not an easy task. It’s something only you can do.”
Sion Etar’s words were quite persuasive.
Aldis might hold a high status, but her views were far too detached from the Herald clan’s average, so in the end, she had no choice but to take a hardline stance as they all desired.
Someone needed to support her by her side, and the only one who could do that was clearly Azadin.
The people demanding a tyrant were pressuring someone who must not become one. If no one supported her, it would end in tragedy.
And that was a rather tempting proposition for Azadin.
To be Aldis’s emotional solace.
To repay her grace.
To become more than just a powerless child in her life—something with real meaning.
How long had he yearned for that?
It was a dream he had held since his days as a helpless boy.
But…
“What about you? Sion Etar? Are you hungry for blood too?”
When Azadin asked, Sion smiled.
“It’d be a lie to say I’m not. The Hubrites oppressed us. We were just following the Emperor’s orders. And look at them. Lady Aldis has declared herself the Emperor’s descendant. Yet they’re too afraid to even stand against the Emperor’s heir. Why?”
“Because they’re the Yaegas divine race.”
“No. It’s because they have vile, lowly natures. They grovel before the absolute strong and are cruel to the weak.”
“We’re not weak.”
“No. We were! Because our numbers were few! That’s why, from childhood, we honed our martial arts harshly and strengthened ourselves with the grimoire of Flowers, Birds, Winds, and Moons—a heteromorphic tome! We pushed ourselves too far to overcome the weakness of our small numbers!”
Heat rose in Sion Etar’s voice.
“In other words, our twisted lives—every bit of it—was persecution. The Hubrites rejected us, so we had to do this to survive.”
“So you want to kill the Hubrites too?”
“Yes. But I know this emotion isn’t right, and it’s unfit for ruling the world ahead. That’s why I need you to free me from it. Who would’ve thought an Aragasa would truly believe in the angel faith of the Salvation Knights?”
Sion Etar genuinely needed Azadin.
Surely… this was meaningful work.
Azadin tempering and soothing their rage from within the Aragasa. That alone could prevent many sacrifices.
But…
“Let’s deal with the Nether and the nagas first.”
Azadin said that to Sion Etar, who had approached him, and put some distance between them.
“Then that bracelet…”
“Hm?”
“Hand over the copy of the Divine King Formation Scripture and the bracelet. Isn’t it too much for one Herald to hold? We need to work on interpreting them…”
“No, do we need the Divine King Formation Scripture copy now that the Royal Throne is taken?”
“Of course. It’s already partially interpreted.”
“Fine. I’ll return them. To Lady Aldis directly.”
“…….”
“Then I’m off. We need to drive out the nagas first.”
Azadin said that and widened the distance from Sion.
*********
The sky was clearing.
King’s Radiance was driving away the dark clouds and pushing back the Nether’s power.
When thunder and storms raged, the Nether’s presence had clearly been the shadow of a colossal giant… but under King’s Radiance, it merely looked like a massive cumulonimbus cloud.
“Wow, what is that? Did we see it wrong? It definitely looked like a giant grim reaper earlier. Turns out we just mistook the clouds out of fear.”
Shati stuck out her tongue as she gazed at the distant dark clouds under King’s Radiance.
“No way.”
Azadin shook his head.
The Nether’s grim reaper had fired its minions from its body, and those minions had fused with the sea serpent nagas to form new kinds of monsters.
Under King’s Radiance, they were just storm clouds, but without it, they were the Nether’s grim reaper.
“It was definitely the Nether’s grim reaper.”
“King’s Radiance is truly remarkable.”
The orc Scott marveled.
With the Nether’s minions weakened under King’s Radiance, the armor that had been hard enough to deflect heavy crossbows softened again, and their speed slowed.
The soldiers could handle them easily with just spear thrusts, and both soldiers and holy knights brimmed with strength.
As King’s Radiance intensified, morale soared in Koral Sahar, and hope and courage welled up among the people.
Moreover, the cheerleaders and Heralds reading proclamations were delivering hopeful messages to the crowd.
“Listen up, everyone! Aldis Jedaha, granddaughter of Emperor Yaeslat, has claimed the Royal Throne of Koral Sahar!”
“Huh? The Emperor?”
“Shouldn’t the Emperor’s granddaughter be long dead by now?”
“No, that’s how potent the Yaegas divine blood is! The true master of Koral Sahar’s Royal Throne has now taken her place, so King’s Radiance will be with us!”
“Long live the Empress!”
The cheerleaders were inciting the crowd, praising the new Empress, Aldis Jedaha.
“…….”
Azadin walked past the cheerleaders.
But from the cheerleaders’ side, and among the people, members of the Herald clan who had been hiding recognized Azadin.
“Congratulations.”
“2nd Herald, Azadin Jedaha.”
“I knew you’d succeed.”
He was the cursed Azadin, the shameless Azadin, scorned and persecuted by all.
But now the Herald clan knew Aldis was his backer and that she was rising to the core of power, so they offered flattery disguised as congratulations right to his face.
Azadin gave half-hearted replies to their well-wishes.
It was undoubtedly a good thing. The summoning of Nether entities and the slaughter of people was Arahel’s doing, not Aldis’s.
Aldis had claimed the Royal Throne in the end, but it was Arahel who had dirtied her hands.
Aldis’s hands were still clean.
Wasn’t that good?
She had seized everything at once without compromising her morals.
If he promised amnesty to those who had betrayed the council under Arahel’s vision, they would gladly return to Aldis.
So everything had worked out fine, so why did Azadin want to leave this place as soon as possible?
“Let’s avoid them. Sion Etar won’t just leave us be.”
Azadin quickened his pace. His head spun, his vision shook, and it was hard to bear. An indescribable pain and suffocation crushed his chest.
That was when it happened.
“Azadin.”
A girl with a somber expression called to him. Midiam and Ismail had been shooting arrows at the sea serpent nagas from atop the walls when they spotted Azadin and turned back.
“Midiam. Ismail.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
Midiam well understood that Azadin admired Aldis, and that Aldis suddenly claiming the Royal Throne and declaring herself the Emperor’s heir would confuse him.
It must be complicated. Not something he could simply rejoice over.
So she comforted him.
But Ismail feigned ignorance and gave Azadin a clasped-hands salute.
“Congratulations on your promotion, Azadin Jedaha. 2nd Herald—befitting your abilities.”
“Ismail!”
Midiam scolded Ismail for insensitively congratulating Azadin on his promotion.
“Hey, little miss. Was it okay that you let us go?”
Scott asked Midiam. When he, Zebek, and Shati had been captured, Midiam had freed them, so he was asking if she’d been reprimanded for it.
“Yeah, it’s fine. I’m an Etar, after all. More importantly, what will you do now?”
“What else? Aldis is the only one who can stop the age of Jupiter. Not just for Aragasa’s glory, but for the Hubrite people too, we must serve loyally as Heralds of the new Empress Aldis, right?”
Ismail answered Midiam’s question in her place. But Azadin shook his head.
“I plan to meet Arahel and talk. But it’s dangerous for her here, so we can’t meet in this place. I’m thinking of heading somewhere remote.”
Azadin shared his plans openly with Midiam.
“…I see.”
“They probably all expect that and will chase me, right?”
“Yeah. Honestly, I was supposed to ask to serve under you again here.”
In other words, Midiam was to approach Azadin as a spy. Ismail flinched at her stating that fact.
“You can follow if you want.”
“I-Is that okay?”
“Haha, boss. These wounds from the kids still sting.”
Scott said that but didn’t outright refuse their company. Instead, it was Zebek who opposed it.
“I’m against it, Azadin. We shouldn’t allow them to accompany us.”
“Why?”
“No matter what excuse we use to refuse, if we do, Sion Etar will see you as a potential traitor and pursue and monitor you. He doesn’t trust you.”
“I think so too.”
“If Miss Midiam is favorable toward you, taking her along will force her to agonize between her clan and you. Better to confront their suspicions head-on.”
Zebek was saying it was better to face the doubts alone than burden Midiam. Typical of a rigid holy knight.
Azadin gave a wry smile.
“No, you’re the one who actually needs to be let go. Isn’t it time to release me now?”
Shati asked that, but Azadin ignored her demand and said,
“Midiam. You choose. Will you follow? Or go back?”
“Of course I’ll follow.”
“I’m against it.”
Ismail shook his head.
“Midiam. This man will ultimately betray the clan. He’s a true believer in the angel faith. Didn’t you see him perform miracles?”
“…….”
“He believes so sincerely that he’ll definitely betray our clan. And you’re an Etar.”
“Ismail.”
At that moment, Azadin called Ismail’s name.
“What?”
“You’re a good kid.”
“Huh?”
Ismail was momentarily flustered. What was this man trying to say? Was he mocking him?
But his expression didn’t suggest that.
Azadin’s face was mostly covered by a mask since he had no eyes, yet somehow his mouth formed an expression that seemed pitying.