Chapter 200
Chapter 200
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 200
Chapter Title: The Clan's Traitor 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
When they seized the famously wealthy Kingdom of Bruma, the question of who would claim its core industries became a matter of utmost interest. It was like calculating the value of pelts before the hunt was even over, but these young heralds brimmed with overflowing confidence.
“Sugar plantations and gold mines are the sources of Bruma’s wealth. Our Aman bloodline wants the sugar plantations.”
Midi’am shook her head at Hal Dun’s words.
“Isn’t it premature to act like we’ve already won? There are the Golden King’s Crows here—the bodyguards. They’ll probably be former members of our clan standing in our way.”
“Ah, those traitors from the clan? They were just servants anyway, or fools who barely scraped into the lowest ranks of herald. They won’t be a match for real heralds like us.”
“We’re not real heralds either. We’re just rich kids who lucked into the spots left vacant by those who sided with Ara엘 and abandoned the clan.”
In the past, Midi’am had overestimated her own abilities. But now, she was excessively humble.
“That includes you, from the Etar bloodline, right?”
“Exactly. It’s the truth. My body hasn’t fully matured yet. Maybe later, but right now, I’m lacking.”
When Midi’am Etar so readily admitted her shortcomings, Hal Dun clicked his tongue.
“Well? I think I’m as good as any adult herald. Watch this.”
Hal Dun nocked a piercing steel bolt onto his crescent bow.
The image appeared of a Bruma army commander in ornate armor, atop a war elephant, attacking the nagas with a massive crossbow.
The nagas were helpless before the Bruma forces.
If they approached, the war elephants trampled them. From a distance, massive bolts like spears flew from the oversized crossbow, ripping even nagas apart on impact.
The nagas tried firing small arrows from afar, but they bounced uselessly off the bamboo armor draped over the elephants and the commander’s own armor.
Even low-level curses were absorbed by the curse wards set by the blood mages. The talismans crafted by the blood mages sucked in surrounding magic, nullifying magical attacks.
Hal Dun loosed an arrow toward that Bruma army commander. The piercing steel bolt flew in a blue trajectory, punching deep into the commander’s armor.
The armor that had deflected the nagas’ arrows was pierced like paper by a herald clan arrow—especially a piercing steel bolt.
The soldiers were stunned as their commander, who had been expertly slaughtering nagas, screamed and fell.
Everyone searched for the direction the arrow came from, but they had no chance of finding it. Hal Dun had curved the arrow’s path, making it veer nearly at a right angle. The soldiers shouted and aimed at all the wrong places.
“Hahaha. See that?”
Hal Dun laughed merrily and turned to Midi’am.
“How about it? I just took down that guy who had the nagas pinned without a chance.”
But Midi’am’s expression wasn’t great.
“Then let’s move. Our goal is to draw out the Crows and scatter the king’s bodyguards as much as possible. If we stay here too long, we’ll run into the Crows for sure.”
“The Golden King’s Crows don’t scare me. In fact, perfect. I’ll lure them here and catch them.”
“You shouldn’t be so overconfident.”
Watching Hal Dun’s brimming self-assurance, Midi’am felt a pang of shame.
*Azadin must have felt like this when he looked at me back then.*
He looked so immature and pathetic.
“Let’s relocate. Our mission is to keep moving and sow chaos. Dealing with the Crows comes after.”
Ismail, who attended Midi’am at her side, stepped forward and spoke. Hal Dun glared at him.
“What? You know your place, servant? We’re talking here.”
“But while we do this, the Crows will close in.”
“That’s why! The Crows don’t scare me!”
It was then, as Hal Dun shouted, that a figure suddenly appeared on the rooftop beside them.
“What’s with all the noise?”
Shockingly, it was Azadin landing on the roof.
“Azadin?!”
Midi’am lit up with joy at the sight of him. But Ismail coolly stepped in front of her.
“Midi’am and Ismail, huh? I thought you’d gone far away, but you’re in Bruma.”
“Have you received the orders?”
“What orders?”
“All heralds are to gather in Bruma, overthrow its false king Manja-Zadek, and seize Bruma’s royal throne.”
“…No. Why haven’t I heard of this? It doesn’t seem like an edict delivered by the Emperor’s voice.”
Azadin was an outcast among the herald clan. Unless orders came through the Emperor’s voice, he had to receive them via networks of servants—like the Korasar courier guild or the Bruma merchant guild.
The entire clan shunned Azadin due to his ties to Ara엘. Even Aldis elevating him to 2nd Herald couldn’t stop the ostracism.
If anything, that reckless promotion—which reeked of Aldis’s favoritism—only fueled the others’ resentment.
“The Emperor’s voice opposed this operation. So we disseminated the orders through separate networks. But now that you’ve heard them, isn’t that fortunate?”
Ismail spoke shamelessly, fully aware of the situation.
“Ah, right. You must be the mute Azadin. Hmm, the rumors say you’re such a stuttering fool you can’t even speak, but you’re talking fine.”
Hal Dun puffed up toward Azadin.
“I’m Hal Dun of the Aman bloodline. Azadin, grant me the honor of your cooperation. Let’s hunt the Golden King’s Crows together. I’ll set you up with a good position later.”
“What kind of good position?”
“Well, a small sugarcane plantation in Bruma ought to satisfy you, right? Leave it to me.”
Hal Dun, still young and freshly minted as a herald to fill a vacancy, treated Azadin like one of his servants.
Midi’am, meanwhile, fidgeted like she was on pins and needles, watching Azadin’s reaction.
Given Azadin’s demeanor, he surely knew the herald clan was attacking Bruma. And considering his personality, he wouldn’t approve.
There was no way he’d condone raiding a city without just cause for their own gain, causing so many casualties.
“If we depose the Golden King, who sits on that throne? Aldis took Korasar’s. Who takes Bruma’s?”
“Probably 2nd Herald Hatir, right? You know? He’s actually the legitimate heir born between the Emperor and Harkonia. If he, the true blood of the Yaegas royal line, claims the throne, the Emperor returns, and we become the Emperor’s heralds again.”
Hal Dun shrugged.
“Even a half-baked one like you gets to reclaim the glorious position of Emperor’s herald.”
“Then the 2nd Herald must be here.”
Hal Dun ignored Azadin’s status as 2nd Herald, trusting only his own lineage. But Azadin appreciated how readily he answered every question.
Midi’am, sensing Azadin’s intentions, began subtly putting distance between them.
“Azadin. What will you do?”
“The answer’s obvious. Golden King Manja-Zadek hasn’t ruled so tyrannically as to deserve dethroning. Slaughtering to drag him down and claim the throne—that’s something even the Emperor’s voice couldn’t accept. No…”
Azadin gave a wry smile.
“I can’t accept it.”
“What?”
Only then did Hal Dun realize Azadin had no intention of joining the operation—in fact, he’d come to stop them. But so what? He was just the mute Azadin.
“Ha… has this guy lost his mind? No, wait, perfect. Hand over your 2nd Herald position, Azadin.”
“Does that mean you’re challenging me to a duel?”
When Azadin asked, Hal Dun scoffed.
“A duel with a clan traitor? Hey!”
Hal Dun gestured to his servants, and they all loosed arrows at Azadin in unison. But Azadin swung his cloak, blocking their paths, then struck the cloak with his palm.
With a boom like a drum bursting, a shockwave scattered, robbing the incoming arrows of their momentum.
Some arrows bore magic, but as the magic fizzled, turning them ordinary, they got caught up in Azadin’s swirling cloak.
At the same time, Azadin lunged forward, targeting Hal Dun first.
*Snap!*
Azadin flicked his middle finger, striking Hal Dun between the eyes. It was just a knuckle snap kids used in play… but the result was astonishing.
The flesh between his eyes tore, blood gushing out and drenching Hal Dun’s face.
“Gahhh!”
“Young master!”
The servants charged with swords, but Azadin swung his own faster.
His sword, forged of azure steel, danced and shattered their weapons effortlessly.
“Urk!”
“What the—!”
Then Grimsrown’s mace flew toward them. The mace danced on its own, smashing into the servants’ heads and chests, felling them.
But as it flew, a hand seized the haft of Grimsrown’s mace.
It was Ismail.
“Azadin. Will you betray the clan for the likes of Hubris’s commoners?”
“The elders betrayed the clan first. The Curse of Service wasn’t placed by the Emperor. The elders did it.”
To keep the servants from acting rashly, Azadin held Hal Dun hostage and turned.
*Rumble!*
Thunder crashed amid the storm.
“On what basis do you spout such nonsense? That the Emperor didn’t place the Curse of Service!”
“The Emperor’s voice admitted it directly. Harkonia assassinated the Emperor, and the elders placed the Curse of Service to control us.”
The rain intensified. Beneath it, Ismail glared at Azadin, gripping Grimsrown’s mace with one hand.
“What does that matter? Our clan’s long-cherished wish is about to come true. Once we claim the throne, no one will dare look down on us.”
“It’s just ambition trampling the innocent.”
“They’re not innocent! They’ve mocked and insulted us all along! They’re not our people!”
“But Harkonia killed the Emperor she loved to save them. And it wasn’t just her. We heralds of the Emperor staked our lives for Hubris’s people. If we now claim no interest in their lives, that’s what you’d call true corruption.”
“So what? What’s wrong with craving power? Why can’t we have it?”
Ismail was outraged. But was that anger directed at Azadin?
Azadin spoke to Ismail, who couldn’t rein in his emotions.
“First off, killing and tormenting innocent people is obviously wrong. Second… even if the clan rules everything, there’ll still be servants and the persecuted within it. Right now, Ismail—do you think you could hold that power?”
“……”
“Third, the age of Jupiter approaches. The Church of the King is losing its power, chaos looms. If we protect the people now, they won’t reject us anymore.”
“That’s…”
“This is the right way. We’re strong enough to earn the respect of Hubris’s people! That’s why the elders bound us with the Curse of Service—they fear it! If we earn respect legitimately through our own strength, they won’t get what they want!”
“……”
“What the elders want is exactly this! Invasion! They restrained us all this time just to do this. Don’t justify this rampage with hatred for Hubris’s people!”
“Damn it.”
Ismail regretted listening to Azadin’s words. He should’ve just fought—now he had no rebuttal. Deep down, he already harbored doubts about the clan’s actions.
“You still have a silver tongue, Azadin. I hate your guts.”
“Is that so? I rather like you.”
“……”
Ismail silently released his grip on the mace.