Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Rampage of the Kin 3
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“Faster than I expected, Azadin. Let that mage go. Or this guy dies. No joke.”
Arael held back her tense subordinates and demanded that Azadin release Scott.
“Scott, release the seal.”
“Huh, Boss.”
Scott reluctantly undid the seal. At that moment, Gibek spoke directly to Arael.
“Miss Arael. That’s you, right?”
“Yeah. And you?”
“Holy Knight of the King’s Church, Gibek. Did you happen to drive those Azure Turban Sect members into a frenzy just now? If so…”
“No. Not me. Their rampage was due to their own flaws.”
“The Azure Turban Sect Taoists said nothing like this had ever happened before and they suspect you.”
“…So because you suspect us, we have to prove our innocence? How arrogant.”
Indim, standing beside Arael, couldn’t hold back and drew his dagger. But Gibek didn’t back down.
-Shing!
The blade rang out as a sharp gleam pierced the darkness. As Gibek drew his sword, Indim’s hostility burned even hotter.
“You must think we’re a joke. Just some puny holy knight!”
Gibek and Indim stood firm, neither yielding. As their animosity clashed sharply, there was movement.
Azadin stepped forward, blocking the space between Gibek and Indim, and spoke.
“If you can move that thing, you could probably juggle a giant grizzly bear too. Are you idiots?”
Startled, Indim and Gibek looked where Azadin was staring: Arael’s subordinates, Seraph and Aleph, were clinging to the emperor’s minting machine, struggling to make it budge.
Azadin’s mockery made Arael burst out laughing despite herself.
“You’re right about that. Azadin’s got it spot on.”
“Lady Arael.”
“First off, those Azure Turban Sect guys are kin of the swamp’s ancient tree, Grimsrown. Grimsrown’s elixir cured their diseases, but when the kin grow beyond a certain number, it harms the mortal realm. Gathering so many potential kin in one place during the Age of Jupiter was their mistake.”
“Is that so?”
“So now you get that we’re at least innocent in this kin rampage incident, right? Honestly, what pisses me off is thinking I’d make excuses just because a few Hubris folk died.”
“Huh?”
“You think I’d lie just to dodge your anger? If that’s what you believe, go ahead and step out now—I’ll slaughter every last Hubris bastard outside. How’s that?”
“Understood. So you’re saying you’re not involved in this one, at least.”
Gibek sheathed his sword.
Arael’s voice dripped with hatred and contempt for the Hubris people, but if she truly had nothing to do with this rampage, fairness demanded he stand down here.
Once Gibek sheathed his blade, Indim grudgingly followed suit.
“So, Azadin. What do you think about partnering up with me?”
“First, I’m not serving under you. But an equal partnership… I’d consider it, depending on the terms.”
The Four of Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon reacted to Azadin’s words.
Dimia and Aleph smirked, while Seraph and Indim fumed at the audacity of this outcast speaking as Arael’s equal.
“This dropout bastard dares…”
“A guy who can’t even stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us, to Lady Arael?!”
“Calm down, everyone. Fine, Azadin. I promise equal treatment. Satisfied now?”
“Yeah. Then you’ll share some info?”
“Acting like you’ll just take the info—hardly equal treatment.”
Arael voiced her displeasure at having to hand over information one-sidedly, but Azadin ignored it and pressed on.
“This is the emperor’s treasure vault, right? Not what I expected. For an emperor, I figured mountains of gold, weapons, treasures—but it’s empty? Just traces of the warehouse left.”
“The emperor’s treasure vault was already looted by the Aragasa when the emperor passed.”
“Aragasa? Us?”
“Yeah. The emperor’s magic artifacts and wealth were taken to the sanctuary by the Aragasa. We’re the ones who raided this place.”
“Wait, hold up? Then the Elder Council already knows this place exists, right? Why keep it secret all this time?”
“Because the Elder Council actually likes the Curse of Service. Why would they let a curse they can trigger at will unravel so easily? They even activated your Curse of Service just on the worry you might ally with me. What about our father, Arkley? A tool to horribly kill anyone who escapes clan control—awfully convenient for the Elder Council, don’t you think?”
Azadin felt bewildered hearing Arael’s words. The Elder Council had a chance to lift the Curse of Service but instead kept and exploited it?
‘But it makes sense when you think about it. Hiding the truth about the emperor’s treasure vault they already knew of fits.’
Azadin had already sensed darkness in the Elder Council.
“So. Eyes open now, Azadin?”
Arael sneered at him while glancing at the minting machine.
“No gold means we can’t run that machine right now.”
“But hold on.”
Shati clicked her tongue and pointed ahead.
“Isn’t there another sealed door deeper inside?”
Where Shati pointed was behind the waterfall. Another hidden door lay beyond the falls.
“Oh, that… it’s the Gate of Lamentation.”
Arael answered Shati’s question.
“We still don’t know how to open it either. It sealed shut when the emperor died… even the dwarves say they don’t know.”
“I see.”
“Legend says the emperor prepared something there for when humanity faced true peril… but no one knows what.”
“Want to give it a try?”
“Knock yourself out.”
Arael permitted Azadin to approach the Gate of Lamentation.
“Alright then…”
Azadin called Shati and Scott over to head toward the gate. The massive metal door behind the waterfall had no visible mechanisms for opening it—not even a keyhole.
“Scott, Shati. What do you see?”
“Nothing, Boss. Necromancers can sense life, but… nothing beyond the door.”
“Yeah? Shati?”
“Same here. Not a single blade of grass inside.”
Shati scanned with green mana for plant reactions, but detected none.
“Quite the mysterious door.”
Azadin examined the traces left before the door.
They were wheel ruts. Something enormous with heavy loads had passed through here; even after centuries, the marks were vividly etched into the stone.
It piqued Azadin’s curiosity.
“Should I smash it?”
Azadin pushed and pulled at the door. But it wouldn’t budge, like trying to move the mountain itself.
“Can you break it?”
Arael mocked him.
Spurred by pride, Azadin drew the Wendigo Dagger. Swinging the sinister Nether relic, an artifact of the ancient death god, produced a clear metallic clang.
“No way?”
The door was unscratched; instead, it numbed Azadin’s hand.
“What about Blue?”
Azadin drew the azure steel longsword he’d named Blue and carefully pressed it against the door. Like splitting a great log or boulder with an adze or chisel, he focused his strength to force it in.
But the master-forged azure steel blade slid off the door, protecting itself. No scratch again.
“Hmm. Guess it comes down to this?”
Finally, Azadin pulled out the Blackgang Blade. Scraping the door with his last shot of the Blackgang Blade finally left a mark.
But it was just a faint scratch that vanished when rubbed by hand. Barely a graze.
His bravado deflated into resignation.
“No dice. Even the Blackgang Blade barely scratches it?”
“If you could open it, the Elder Council would’ve done it ages ago, Azadin.”
“Fair point. So, Arael. The mint’s a bust with no gold—what’s next? Tell me your plans.”
“Can I trust you with that?”
“You know I won’t side with the Elder Council, at least.”
“But you can’t kill them either. You’d fold the second Aldis sheds a tear, right?”
“…….”
“Kidding. No need to poke at old wounds. We’re heading to Bthuma to draw out Elder Hatir. The Bthuma throne will soon face attack from the naga forces too.”
“They’re pulling the same stunt as in Coral Sahar?”
“Yeah. Plus, Bthuma’s where the naga empire’s stronghold is. They’ll probably play their decisive card there to determine the Aragasa’s fate.”
“Uh.”
Shati panicked hearing that.
Someday, strike and conquer Bthuma. It was the naga empire’s long-held dream… she never imagined hearing it from Arael’s mouth.
‘While I’ve been away from the naga empire, things have progressed this far?’
Shati had ended up as Azadin’s(?) prisoner, forced into cooperation, but the Bthuma assault was the naga empire’s aspiration.
If she sabotaged it, the naga would never forgive her. No more drifting with the flow—it was time to decide her path for real.
Meanwhile, Gibek coolly pierced the situation.
“You’re saying the naga are attacking Bthuma on their own, but this is your doing from the start, right? Like when you lured the naga into Coral Sahar.”
“Exactly. We had a deal with the naga originally, but now that the Elder Council’s taken our place, they’ll keep it going anyway. But this is our chance. Aldis can’t move while defending Coral Sahar, so the only one coming for the throne is Deputy Leader Hatir.”
“Deputy Leader Hatir…”
“We kill him. That’s our real goal.”
“Wait. That…”
“Even if he’s your brother, isn’t spilling secrets like this a problem?”
The Four of Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon were baffled by Arael so casually revealing classified info.
Among Arael’s followers, plenty wanted to kill Azadin before she knew, and the Four sympathized with them.
Arael coddled Azadin too much just because he was blood.
Of course, Azadin himself faced no such insult.
“You and the Elder Council are all insane. Have you even thought about how many people will die?”
To seize Bthuma’s throne by drawing in the naga, countless would die and lose their homes, just like in Coral Sahar.
Treating it all like pieces on a board—Elder Council, Arael’s faction, all the same.
Azadin felt disgust at how their plans all hinged on human sacrifice.