Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: Malarial Potion 3
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Just then, a soldier who had lost his spear and stood empty-handed spotted another group entering from the village entrance and cried out in horror.
“Clerk! There—paladins!”
A knight clad head to toe in plate armor, bearing the emblem of the King's Church, was riding into the village outskirts on horseback.
“Damn it. What the hell?”
“Retreat!”
The Blue Turban soldiers realized they couldn’t handle them, dropped their loot, grabbed their wounded, and began fleeing.
*********
Azadin, who had climbed up from the coastal cliffs, wandered the paths for a while.
“Even Aragsa’s map doesn’t mark this area very well.”
Azadin had received a map of the Corrasar region—his assigned territory—from the Aragsa council of elders when he was appointed as a herald for that direction.
The Adiroph region wasn’t depicted on that map, so Azadin wasn’t familiar with the local geography.
“Adiroph… isn’t that one of Count Lantariq’s territories?”
“Yeah. They say the secret to the Emperor’s treasury lies here.”
According to Brand, the former secretary to the previous Count Lantariq, Garnahair, he had conducted research on the Emperor’s treasury right here in Adiroph.
That was why they had stopped by a nearby village to gather some stories…
“But there seem to be armed troops in the village?”
“Huh?”
“Sir Gibec is too flashy anyway, so I’ll scout ahead and check the situation.”
Azadin had said that and slipped in first, only to run into the group calling themselves the Blue Turbans.
“You went to scout the situation and ended up fighting them?”
Gibec scolded him.
“I didn’t know how bad they were. They loot, but they hand out conscription notices and don’t kill or assault people.”
Azadin had firm principles. For thieves who just stole goods, he didn’t inflict permanent harm.
By those principles, the Blue Turbans weren’t yet worth killing or maiming.
“We can ask the villagers.”
Azadin returned the cart to the people.
“Th-thank you. Who are you people? Part of the paladin’s group?”
“Something like that. Oh, right—I’d like to buy some beans or oats.”
Azadin pulled out a silver coin and placed it in the merchant’s hand, handing over the sack hanging from his saddle. It was more than enough to fill it with beans and oats.
‘Help the people and pay a fair price. Whew. Truly dignified, befitting an Emperor’s herald. But what if this merchant refuses the money to repay the favor?’
That was when Azadin had such worries.
The merchant, taking the now-empty sack, gladly scooped several pecks from the load that had nearly been conscripted by the Blue Turbans and filled Azadin’s sack.
But…
“Hmm? That’s it? I think I paid with silver.”
“Ahem. Food and grain are expensive these days. Refugees have been flooding in from Koral Sahar lately, driving up prices. If you want the sack fuller, pay more.”
The merchant held out his hand to Azadin.
“…”
Hadn’t he just saved the merchant from being robbed by the Blue Turbans, and now he demanded full payment?
‘It wasn’t like I expected gratitude, but this guy’s seriously unlikeable.’
Azadin sighed, pulled out more money, and gave the merchant extra.
“Fine. With this, I’ll throw in an extra peck of oats.”
“Ah. Sure.”
Azadin inwardly clicked his tongue at the merchant bragging over a single peck of oats.
He’d paid enough for a handcart full in normal times, yet the merchant barely filled two sacks and boasted about one peck.
“I get that refugees are pouring in from Koral Sahar, but what’s with those blue-turbaned guys?”
“Oh, the ones with headscarves dyed blue from fruit? They call themselves the Blue Turbans and run wild. A cult.”
“A cult?”
“That’s right. It’s a new religion that came overland through Btuma recently. What’s the King’s Church doing about it? No wonder Koral Sahar… Whoops. Look at me.”
It took guts to badmouth the King’s Church in front of one of its paladins.
But ever since Koral Sahar was ravaged by storms, producing hordes of refugees, respect for the King’s Church had noticeably waned.
‘Poor Ansetus IV.’
Even though the fading of the King’s Radiance wasn’t his fault, history would brand him a failed king.
“What do these cultists do?”
“What else? They lure in refugees and foolish young folk, ranting about building a new world. They nab influential people, sweet-talk them into coughing up money, and train militias. The problem is the dwarves joining them.”
“Dwarves?”
“Yeah. With dwarves signing up for the Blue Turbans, their momentum’s surging. Watch out.”
“Got it. Which way is Adiroph Barony? Any local maps for sale?”
“Oh, a map?”
The merchant held out his hand again.
“Since you’re a benefactor, I’ll give you a deal.”
“…”
Azadin desperately felt the need for the Corrasar Merchants’ Guild.
*********
“Damn. They really gouged me. Should’ve bought grain later.”
Azadin unfolded the expensive map he’d bought.
The Adiroph region map showed it lay astonishingly on the border between the Corrasar and Btuma kingdoms.
Borderlands like this usually thrived on trade or garrisons, becoming strategic hubs. Yet Azadin had never heard of Adiroph.
“Why didn’t I know about a border region?”
“It’s because of the endemic diseases.”
Gibec explained beside Azadin.
“Endemic diseases?”
“Malaria, dysentery, yellow fever, and various Btuma plagues plague Adiroph. Famously, the Adiroph baronial family was wiped out by malaria, leaving no heirs, so it passed to Count Lantariq through the female line.”
“Ah, so that’s why Count Lantariq mentioned being Adiroph’s guardian or whatever.”
Azadin nodded.
“The map shows the land route to Btuma goes only through Adiroph’s main town, Adiph. Let’s head there.”
Azadin folded the map neatly for easy access and tucked it into his belt pouch before setting off.
It hadn’t been long since they left the village.
“You bastards!”
“You dare interfere with the Blue Turbans’ affairs!”
A mob with blue turbans surged toward them—over twenty strong, armed with spears, bardiches, bows, and more.
“Oh boy. They’re dead set on dying.”
Scott clicked his tongue at the sight.
Knowing Azadin’s abilities, he wasn’t surprised or scared by the numbers. He just worried for the self-proclaimed Blue Turbans’ future.
Shati, on the other hand, was annoyed.
“What if a stray arrow hits us…?”
She couldn’t even imagine Azadin losing.
He’d already crushed herald clan elites before their eyes and even repelled an ancient death god’s descent. Ragtag bandits wouldn’t faze him now.
But…
“Hold on, everyone—calm down.”
Azadin raised both hands and knelt before them.
“What the? This guy…”
“Ah, leave the paladin alone. It’ll cause trouble.”
Azadin clearly drew a line even for those threatening Gibec.
“…”
The Blue Turbans looked to their clerk leader.
Fighting a fully armed paladin was daunting even for them, but after coming to punish him, could they just let it go because he knelt?
‘We came to beat him for hurting our guys—should we accept this?’
‘The clerk seems kinda scared of him…?’
As they exchanged glances, the clerk cleared his throat.
“Ahem. You—do you now grasp what it means to disrupt the Blue Turbans’ affairs?”
“Yes. Of course.”
Azadin nodded along and asked,
“I’ve heard the Blue Turbans are a religious group. Lately, my heart’s been troubled, and I’ve been doubting if my old faith is right. If there’s a new teaching, I’d gladly devote my life to it. Could you share your teachings?”
“What?”
“First, I’m curious about your doctrine.”
“Doctrine… doctrine?”
The Blue Turban members panicked. They called themselves a new religion, but they barely knew the doctrine themselves.
Before, the King’s Church had demanded only subservience to the king and nobles as descendants of the Yaegas divine race. Even the Salvation Knights preached to commoners a simplistic creed: live virtuously and blessings would come.
“Er, wear the blue turban and follow our leader’s will. The era of the Yaegas divine race is over!”
“Can we join too?”
“Well… aspiring converts?”
As the clerk spoke, the surrounding Blue Turban soldiers grumbled. They’d come for revenge after hearing their comrades were beaten. And now, no punishment—just letting the beater join?
As the soldiers’ mood soured, the clerk grew uneasy.
Then.
“Hmm, it’s not much, but…”
Azadin handed money to the clerk.
“Wh-what’s this?”
“Like a thirsty deer seeking a spring, in seeking true teachings, the urge to offer alms welled up in my heart. Please use it to tend those I injured.”
“…”
The clerk coughed, accepted the money, and subtly showed it to his men. Their expressions softened.
“But what about the paladin? Will he convert too?”
“…”
Gibec hesitated, glanced at Azadin, sighed, and said,
“I’ll hear you out.”
“…Fine. Follow us.”
The clerk distributed the money to his men and led the way.
*********
Following the Blue Turbans over a hill revealed an enormous refugee camp.
Wagons dotted the plains, tents sprawled everywhere.
Good drainage land was taken by fields or villages, so refugees from Koral Sahar camped in wetlands and barren watersides.
-Weeeeng.
Exaggerating a bit, palm-sized mosquitoes—objectively fingernail-sized—buzzed everywhere.
Azadin slapped and killed every visible one.
But each kill stained his palm with blood. The mosquitoes were already bloated with people’s blood.
Nor were mosquitoes alone. Leeches clung to refugees fishing catfish in the mud.
Despite the swarms of venomous bugs, Koral Sahar refugees endured day by day here.
A well-dressed man, unaccustomed to labor, grimaced mud-larkeying for catfish. Blue Turban members swaggered up to such folk and took half their catch baskets.
A strange light flickered in Azadin’s helmet as he watched.