Chapter 158
Chapter 158
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Malarial Potion 1
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While Shati prepared the meal and Sir Jibek fetched water, Scott and Azadin absorbed the white mana from the New King's Scripture copy to focus on strengthening Azadin.
It felt like pouring water into a leaky sack.
If they properly channeled the mana charged in the New King's Scripture copy into Azadin's body, the entire Flower-Bird-Wind-Moon Kazas Grimoire would grow stronger. But that mana gradually faded over time, and so did the power.
It strengthened in the moment of infusion and for a certain period afterward, but eventually reverted to its original state. According to Scott, however, repeating this process would gradually strengthen Azadin's entire grimoire.
Scott made an unexpected proposal.
"Truth is, Captain. From a long-term perspective, it might be better to use the white mana from the New King's Scripture copy to erase your Kazas Grimoire altogether—the incomplete one called Flower-Bird-Wind-Moon."
"What are you talking about?"
"You're skilled in magic itself. Your sense for handling mana is exceptional too. With a proper grimoire, you could become a powerful mage."
"So you're saying if we remove the incomplete grimoire inside me, I could learn magic normally?"
"That's right."
"But then I'd need a new grimoire, wouldn't I? The New King's Scripture copy hasn't been deciphered yet. I can't use it. What about in the meantime?"
"You'd be weaker for a while. But we could recover soon enough. And I could teach you a new grimoire to infuse."
"Black magic, you mean?"
"It's great, isn't it? Necromancy? Convenient and useful. Not sure if orcish grand magic suits dull humans, but there are plenty of human necromancers out there. Even if you only reach my toe level, you'd be something among humans, right?"
"......"
"Our holy knights' King's Radiance combat manual is actually a derivative low-tier grimoire from the New King's Scripture. How about learning that?"
Sir Jibek recommended the King's Radiance combat manual to Azadin.
"It's not a bad plan, but we don't have time for it. Roughly how long would that take?"
"Well, since it's your body, I wouldn't know exactly, but at least half a year without weakening, I suppose?"
"No time to be helpless for half a year. And that's the minimum—you said. It could take even longer."
Azadin rejected Scott's proposal.
"For now, strengthening myself with the New King's Scripture's power is enough. Plus, we got the Aure Steel treasure sword. The Wendigo Dagger's a great weapon too."
Azadin drew the sword as he spoke. The bluish blade emitted a chilling frost.
Azadin wore out most swords with his intense use of them. That's why he always carried a bunch of weapons in the mountain goat's saddlebags.
Even for such an Azadin, the Aure Steel frost sword was an alluring item.
"Since it was obtained through improper means, I should return it to its rightful owner if I meet them. Until then, I'll use it. Guess I should give it a temporary name. From now on, you're 'Bluey.'"
"......"
Everyone's gazes focused on Azadin. Was he serious?
"What? Why?"
"Does it have to be that name?"
"It's just a temporary loan."
At that moment, Shati, who was cooking, shouted.
"Hey! A ship's approaching—one vessel!"
"What?"
A small coastal triangular-sailed ship stopped and fired a signal arrow toward Azadin's group. The arrow whistled through the air.
"Not Aragasa."
Azadin knew they weren't Aragasa from the signal arrow's range.
Aragasa, the Herald Clan, would have shot it twice as fast and far. Still, firing a signal meant they had business here.
As Azadin waited, he saw them lower a small boat and row toward them.
"Who are they?"
"Faces I don't recognize."
But they were waving and shouting toward this side, so they must have come to meet Azadin's group.
"Herald Clan?"
"Doesn't seem like it. The signal arrow's range was too short."
Then three men disembarked from the boat.
"You're safe, Herald Clan."
"Who are you?"
"Hmm. Haven't you seen my human form?"
"Ah."
Azadin recognized him and clicked his tongue.
"Nagaraja?!"
Nagaraja of the Sea Serpent Tribe, Dehares, had appeared before Azadin in human form.
"Indeed. Didn't you say you'd return the seal to me?"
No wonder he spotted them from afar—the seal must have had a tracking spell.
"You're safe too. Shati, return the seal."
"Ah, yes. It, it's an honor, Raja."
"Why is this naga traveling with you?"
"We got attached."
"Attached? Hm. I see."
Dehares nodded, looking at Azadin and Shati.
"Makes sense. Naga charm is fearsome."
He seemed to think there was a physical relationship between Azadin and Shati.
Since the Naga Empire days, nagas had often coupled with humans. Naga-on-naga mating required risking their lives all day, every day for at least 24 hours. With humans, it was just fun without the burden, and humans got more pleasure from nagas than their own kind.
Of course, Naga Empire rules mandated eating humans after such couplings, but many nagas broke the rules and spared humans due to their charm.
"No, I, Lord Raja."
Shati tried to clear the misunderstanding, but Azadin stopped her and handed the seal to Dehares.
"Good, you used the seal well. Satisfied with the results?"
"...The sea serpent nagas got screwed, which is nice, but something unexpected happened. A new emperor? Man. Would've been nice if you'd tipped me off."
Dehares's voice lowered. Aldis claiming the throne and declaring himself imperial heir wasn't good news for nagas.
For nagas worshiping the Kurt pantheon, strengthening the Yaegas god-race wasn't welcome.
"Hard to believe, but I didn't know until it all blew up."
"You didn't know?"
"The one who ascended as emperor this time isn't Arael—it's someone named Aldis. Not the faction that dealt with nagas; another faction snatched it midway."
"Ah, got it. Thanks for telling me. Heading this way—going to Bthuma by any chance?"
"......"
"If it's alright, how about riding our ship as thanks? We're going to Seramba Port in Bthuma Kingdom. We can take you there."
Seramba Port was one of Azadin's destinations, ten days away on foot.
But board a sea serpent naga ship? Azadin now held about an eighth of the New King's Scripture copy's pages.
"We should refuse..."
Jibek said, but Azadin nodded.
"Then we'll gladly accept your hospitality."
"Haha. Good choice. I was short on conversation partners anyway. Be my chat buddy on the way."
Dehares fired a signal arrow to their ship, had them lower another boat, and transported Azadin's group—horses, mountain goat, and all—to their vessel.
*********
Nagaraja Dehares was a curious fellow.
He was interested in the Herald Clan and even their pre-Hubris Continent angelic Arael faith.
"Serpent Dragon Azadin and Angel of Justice Arael? Wait—Arael faction's leader is named Arael? Naming people after their god?"
"That's how far we've strayed from the old faith."
"Amazing. You can abandon faith that easily?"
"More like, is that strange? Even sea serpent nagas seem to worship Nether messengers over Cobra Queen these days."
"Ah, right. Hm, interesting. Why are your bows so strong?"
Throughout the voyage, Dehares questioned Azadin about the Herald Clan that way, and in exchange, freely shared naga history when Azadin asked.
"I can't answer where the Naga Empire is now or its size—that exposes strategy. You're avoiding such questions too."
"True."
"Let's understand that about each other."
Three days into the voyage, Dehares's subordinate nagas whispered to him in Naga tongue with uneasy faces.
"......"
Dehares's expression soured.
"You. Every morning, doing weird stuff with that orc and the New King's Scripture?"
"Yeah."
Even aboard the naga ship, Azadin hadn't stopped absorbing mana from the New King's Scripture copy.
Bored anyway, he devoted himself to researching and training ways to use the white mana welling up in it with Scott and Jibek.
Was that what sparked talk among the nagas?
Azadin thought it'd come to this. The New King's Scripture copy was the supreme grimoire even Cobra Queen coveted. A nagaraja wouldn't ignore it.
But Dehares's issue wasn't that.
"Embarrassing to admit, but I braced for hay consumption with your horse and goat aboard. But..."
"But?"
"That orc eats too much. Subordinates want to toss him overboard..."
"......"
The orc's eating bothered them more than the horse or goat's hay? Just how much had the guy devoured?
"S-sorry. We'll get off."
"Your holy knight friend fishes hard to stock up, but sorry still. Meant to take you to Seramba as promised, but at this rate, we'll run out of food."
Dehares seemed genuinely apologetic about dropping them midway.
*********
In the end, Azadin's group had to disembark in the coastal cliffs about three days from Seramba Port.
As they prepared to leave the ship, Shati glanced at Azadin and pleaded.
"Um, can you really just leave me here?"
It was a heartfelt wish, yet delivered lightly, almost casually, without hurting Azadin's feelings—revealing her inner conflict.
Shati dreamed of becoming a retainer to the noble nagaraja Dehares.
A land serpent naga serving a sea serpent nagaraja might seem odd, but having lost the New King's Scripture copy and failed her mission, she couldn't return home.
Her tribe would punish her harshly. But Dehares would understand.
Yet Azadin refused to let Shati go.