Chapter 172
Chapter 172
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: Northern Threat 4
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I hadn't realized it because Azadin had subdued him so easily, but had this man really killed this enormous horde of ogres and goblins?
Looking at the horrific corpses strewn everywhere, there was no choice but to marvel at Doneer's ability to annihilate them.
And then to marvel once more at Azadin, who had subdued that very Doneer so effortlessly.
"Hmm... It's not like there's a letter for the ogres or anything."
Azadin clicked his tongue as he rummaged through the corpses. He could see Scott looking delighted at the bodies scattered all around.
"Boss. Mind if I have a go?"
"Don't ask me—ask Zibek."
"Zibek..."
"Oh, don't ask me. Even if my mouth were torn apart, I couldn't say it was okay, could I? Just do it. Why are you asking for my permission?"
Zibek snapped irritably. But that was the best compromise he could manage.
The spell Scott was about to cast was vile necromancy—summoning the souls of the dead for interrogation. Playing with the corpses was preferable by comparison.
But as a paladin, he couldn't approve necromancy even if his mouth were torn apart. Wouldn't it be better to just do it secretly out of sight and bring back the information?
*Zibek's gotten a lot more flexible. If other paladins saw this, would they call it corruption? Plenty of paladins have dabbled in black magic anyway.*
Zibek's own master, the Judge Zekt, had his hands in all sorts of black magic and even Nether spells. Hadn't Zekt been the one who turned Doneer and his gang into monsters?
"Fine then. Sigh. The dead themselves probably don't care one bit, but as a rationalist, I have to understand you folks tangled up in superstitions and bad habits because my intelligence is too low."
"......"
Regardless of Zibek's glare, Scott chanted his incantation and cast it on the corpse of what looked like the ogre chieftain.
Blood spurted from the corpse, forming a large circle of blood on the ground. From within it emerged a gloomy black shadow.
[Grooo? I'm dead? Gotta go to the king's court.]
"Before that, how about a little chat? Were you planning to invade Btuma?"
[Btuma. Human kingdom, lotsa good meat, lotsa food. Lotsa shiny stuff. Said we could take whatever we want.]
"Ogres—you guys, how far were you planning to go? Vanguard? Scouts?"
[We got lost 'cause we don't know the way. Grabbed humans on the road, stuck 'em on spits, made 'em guide us. But they died quick.]
It seemed they'd grabbed random people on the way down from the mountains, impaled them on spits, and forced them to show the way.
Azadin shuddered at the ogres' brutal methods.
"Such cruel bastards."
"No..."
The bandit mercenaries felt a chill watching Azadin rage at the ogres amid this scene where vile black magic was disturbing souls and denying them rest.
*You're not exactly innocent yourself...* they thought, but they didn't dare say it aloud.
"Ask about the army's size. How many of you are there? Any other forces?"
[Our ogres, battalion commanders, uh, one two three... lots. Lots deployed.]
Ogres called anything over five on one hand "lots," so getting an exact number was impossible, but the mention of "battalion commanders" was a big clue.
Ogres were strangely sensitive about ranks and strictly adhered to the troop numbers under each rank. Creatures who couldn't count past five were ruthlessly precise about hierarchy and power.
"Battalion commander-level ogres—five or more?!"
"...My god."
The listening Azure Faction members and bandit mercenaries gasped in horror.
At that moment, the Emperor's voice spoke to Azadin.
[It's true. An ogre army has suddenly appeared at Btuma Kingdom's northern border, and war is about to break out. Hartam Margrave has invoked the Emperor's gold coin to request aid from the Western Garden, but the Herald Clan is currently ignoring the gold coin's plea.]
"Ugh..."
Azadin felt ashamed at the Emperor's words.
The Herald Clan's duty was at least to honor requests from the gold coin. Yet weren't they the very ones who had instigated this war?
To satisfy their own greed, they'd dragged the nagas into attacking Btuma Kingdom, and the nagas had dragged in the ogres. Having sown the disease, they had no intention of providing the cure.
[Hartam Margrave has requested reinforcements from Btuma's king, who has gathered his forces as best he can and sent them to Hartam. As a result, Btuma is critically short on troops to defend against a direct assault right now.]
"Hmm, boss. What do we do?"
Azadin's group had just entered Btuma Kingdom from the eastern border.
They could head to Hartam Margrave or straight to Btuma's capital. The distances were about the same.
"That detection spell on Doneer is definitely still active. Killing him would let the caster know immediately. They'd even pinpoint the location of his death."
"Can't you dispel it?"
"Dispelling it would tip them off just the same. Better idea, boss—why not make him fight the ogres? He's weak to King's Radiance and such, but against brute-force types like ogres and goblins, he'd actually be strong."
Scott proposed using Doneer as a combat asset.
Azadin had no intention of sparing a sadistic cannibal like Doneer who delighted in tormenting others. But killing him would alert Zekt, and with the situation so dire, he couldn't ignore the need to grasp at any straw.
"I'll control him."
Zibek stepped forward.
"Alright then, mercenaries."
"Yes."
"From now on, follow Sir Zibek's command. Doneer."
"Yeah."
"Tell him the location of your hidden loot, then go north with Zibek to aid Hartam Margrave."
"You're sparing me?"
Doneer gave a wry smile.
Using him as a soldier to save Hartam Margrave.
He couldn't fathom what this Herald was thinking. Were they truly prioritizing their duty as the Emperor's heralds? Even after the Emperor's death?
"I treasure my duty as the Emperor's herald. You've committed a capital crime, but if you're useful, fine—I'll throw you at the ogres. Fight well, and you might even save your own skin."
Azadin said this and beckoned to Zibek.
"Yes."
"Just in case."
Azadin handed Zibek a copy of the Divine King Array Scripture.
"This is..."
"Even if Doneer gets stronger and turns on you, this will let you control him for sure. You've seen me use it, right?"
"Understood. Thank you, Azadin. I won't fail your expectations."
Zibek received money for the mercenaries' pay and supplies to reach Hartam from Azadin.
"Once the job's done, we'll meet again in Btuma!"
"Yeah!"
Zibek led Doneer and the bandit mercenaries and immediately set off for Hartam.
"Then we should hurry to Btuma."
Azadin gathered the gold coins and food Doneer had hidden in the farm after killing people and looting.
"Hold on, boss. Now that Zibek's gone..."
Scott eyed the ogre and goblin corpses littering the ground and the large wagons in the farm, his eyes gleaming.
"Mind if I use some bodies?!"
"Go ahead. That was part of why I put Zibek in charge. But take it easy. People won't stand by if ogres and goblins start shambling around as undead."
"Tsk tsk. Boss, you think I'd make that rookie mistake? I'm not some brainless hack necromancer from those idiots' imaginations. I'm a true necromancer—with creativity, artistry, and burning passion in this heart of mine. No romance, no necromancer!"
"F-Fine? What grotesque thing are you planning?"
Azadin watched anxiously as Scott got to work.
*********
"Remarkable."
"Truly ambitious."
Jiswa admired Azadin's actions.
Azadin had crushed Doneer's gang with terrifying skill, then split his forces to save an entire earldom.
A single paladin, Doneer, and a handful of mercenaries—not even a full platoon despite their armament— but given the number of ogres and goblins Doneer's group had slain, they'd surely be a massive help to Hartam Margrave.
And Azadin himself was heading to save Btuma.
Jiswa had initially suspected Azadin, but now he understood the man's intentions clearly.
This guy was trying to save a kingdom single-handedly.
Honestly, Jiswa couldn't help but be impressed.
Like most cults, the Azure Faction taught loving thy neighbor, cherishing family harmony, protecting the elderly and weak, and respecting women.
But followers fixated more on petty bylaws—like how to handle a wife's suspected infidelity or how hard to beat usurers—than on such upright teachings.
No one poured effort into the obvious good deeds.
Yet this man, who could seize any wealth, power, or beauties he wanted, was moving to truly save a nation.
It was great, but...
"Grroooaaar!"
An ogre head roared. And the wagon was being pulled along.
"Heh heh heh."
Scott McGlin was delighted with his masterpiece.
"Behold—the Ogre Muscle Cart! What do you think?"
"It's way too grotesque-looking. And why's it roaring?"
"Because it needs oxygen, of course. If you just stitch muscles together without a breathing system for undead, the body rots fast and becomes useless. Those low-class naga necromancers mummify rotting corpses, but I'm challenging life creation like this."
"......"
Azadin clicked his tongue at the blasphemous abomination.
Scott had crafted a massive quadrupedal monster from the dead ogre's flesh, blood, muscles, and bones. A monster with circulating blood and flesh that could even breathe—a new form entirely.
"But won't the corpse rot right away...?"
"Forcing blood and organs to circulate slows decay."
"But if it has vitality like you say, won't it need food?"
"That's why I packed some."
Scott loaded the leftover goblin corpses onto the wagon as parts. Those must be the "food."
*Good thing Zibek didn't see this.*
Azadin covered the horrific beast's face with a tarp.
Moreover, this stitched-together ogre corpse shaped like a horse was quite fast; Azadin's mountain goat had to gallop at full speed to keep up.
"Ah. I made it myself, but damn, I did good. Art, pure art. Call it a Corpse Abomination?"
Scott was lost in admiration for his creation, heedless of others' disgust.