Chapter 237
Chapter 237
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 237
Chapter Title: Bishop Akenar 4
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“Amazing.”
Azadin was stunned to learn that Bishop Akenar’s status was higher than he had anticipated.
He had assumed she held a high position since a young woman like her had become a bishop, but he never imagined she was a former queen who had taken vows.
“It’s embarrassing to admit, but if I want to hear your story, I should have no secrets from you. So, first, could you tell me about what happened with Corasar and Btuma?”
“Of course. Ah, but before that, could I make one request?”
“What is it?”
Bishop Akenar tilted her head at Azadin’s request.
“Please leave some reliable people in this village to guard against any further lizardmen attacks. The cavalry can move with the carriages, so infantry would be best.”
Azadin made the suggestion out of concern for the villagers.
The lizardmen craved human sacrifices, so there was a chance they might return to raid the village they had already plundered once.
He should have inflicted maximum casualties on them during the earlier fight, but the relief knights had gotten in the way.
However, the coachman兼bodyguard scowled at Azadin’s proposal.
“Are you telling us to split our forces?”
“No. He’s just worried about the villagers. Yes, we’ll do that. I’ll leave the bishopric’s infantry behind to handle the cleanup.”
“Thank you.”
Azadin began his story politely toward Bishop Akenar.
He concisely and swiftly recounted the curse of servitude placed upon the Herald Clan, the battle between Chief Hatir—who sought to use it to crown himself emperor—and Arael, who rebelled against him, the attacks on Corasar and Btuma amid the chaos, the death of Btuma’s Golden King Manja-Zadek, and the clan’s downfall.
“My goodness. So you’re the sole remaining Herald of the Emperor? Lady Izmira was fortunate. Or perhaps this was the guidance of fate.”
“Guidance of fate?”
“Yes. Do you know the prophecy laid upon Lord Plank?”
“No. I don’t. What prophecy?”
“There’s a prophecy that the last one he knights will become the flower of knighthood.”
“…Pardon?”
“So far, the last knight Lord Plank ever dubbed is Cohen Lionair, King Xander. That’s why there are even foolish rumors that Lord Plank’s accident was caused deliberately by King Cohen to claim the prophecy for himself.”
“…….”
Azadin knew firsthand from Lord Plank himself that Cohen was the one who killed him.
It wasn’t a foolish rumor. At the very least, Cohen truly believed in the prophecy and had acted personally to seize the destined fate for himself.
‘Damn that old geezer. You should’ve told me that. Of course Cohen would come after me.’
If word got out that Azadin had been knighted by Lord Plank, Cohen Lionair wouldn’t sit idly by.
“So here’s what I’m thinking—on paper, we could say I knighted you.”
“With so many people here witnessing this, is that wise?”
“Well, I’m not a bishop for nothing. At least in official settings, no one will bring it up. But, hmm….”
Bishop Akenar stroked her chin.
“It might be odd coming from someone wearing a mask, but I’d like to see what’s behind yours.”
“Behind the mask?”
“Yes. I wouldn’t want to knight a man whose face I don’t know. Not that it matters if I don’t see it. Ah, it’s just pure curiosity. You don’t have to.”
“Pardon?”
“Still, I’d really like to see it.”
Bishop Akenar squirmed in her seat as she spoke. For someone of such high status, she seemed just like a teenage girl.
“It’s hidden because it’s a repulsive monstrosity.”
“So you won’t show me? That’s a shame.”
“Haa.”
With no other choice, Azadin removed his mask.
“…….”
“See it?”
“Ah, um, just a bit more….”
As Bishop Akenar rose from her seat to stop Azadin from leaving, a sudden warning rang out.
It was Arael’s voice, scouting the surroundings and alerting Azadin.
But even that warning came too late. The enemy had used magic to conceal their approach as much as possible.
“Damn! Pardon me!”
Azadin immediately braced himself by kicking the backrest and ceiling of the carriage seat, scooped up Bishop Akenar, and prepared for impact.
-BOOM!
With a deafening explosion, the carriage launched off the ground.
“Kyaa!”
The carriage flipped, its roof shattering. In the moment it couldn’t withstand the impact and collapsed, Azadin leaped out the window with the bishop in his arms.
Outside, a horde of were-rats and hobgoblin crossbowmen were unleashing a barrage.
But the hobgoblin crossbowmen’s weapons were extraordinary.
They were firing bamboo tubes packed with black powder—explosive canisters—from their crossbows, sending the knights into utter chaos.
“Argh!”
“It’s your fault! If we’d had the infantry….”
“Even with infantry, we’d still be done for.”
Azadin clicked his tongue at the enemies’ meticulous assault.
Black powder was an expensive item crafted and sold by dwarves, pricier than silver by weight, difficult to store and maintain. Cohen Lionair must have been backing them to enable such weaponry.
‘First things first—if we don’t deal with those crossbowmen, we’re done.’
Azadin scanned the surroundings while holding the bishop and spotted Izmira.
“Izmira!”
“Yes!”
“Take care of the bishop.”
Azadin handed Bishop Akenar to Izmira and donned his mask.
-Phoenix Wind Moon: Earth Spider!
Riding shadows through the darkness, Azadin’s body instantly traversed about five paces, piercing through the enemy lines.
A short-range spatial translocation technique specialized for assassination!
To think he’d been clumsily mimicking it with hand-to-hand combat because he couldn’t use it until now. Azadin marveled anew at the power of the Herald Clan’s grimoire, Phoenix Wind Moon.
Mezzeri’s Apostles gripped arming swords in both hands, swinging them wildly to block the knights’ approach and slaughter them, but Azadin vaulted over the Apostles to reach the hobgoblin crossbowmen in one go.
The startled crossbowmen tried to resist, but Azadin redirected the lit explosive canisters they fired straight at Mezzeri’s Apostles.
-BOOM!
Amid the roar, Mezzeri’s Apostles were blown to pieces.
As the were-rats screamed and fell, Azadin drew his seramite longsword and swung it. Blazing golden flames erupted from the blade, felling hobgoblins.
‘Ah, so this is how it’s done. A sword that summons holy flames. But I can’t use it here.’
Azadin snapped to his senses while swinging the flaming sword.
Striking powder-bearing foes with a burning blade could trigger an explosion—and even he wouldn’t survive that.
But the moment he thought that, the flames vanished from the blade.
‘It can be controlled? Good. The edge is duller than steel, less satisfying to cut with, but this is how you use this sword.’
Azadin cleaved hobgoblins down with the now-flame-free seramite longsword.
Though weakened by Kazas Steps, thanks to fully mastering Phoenix Wind Moon, Azadin’s lethality had become overwhelmingly greater.
Shifting from shadow to shadow, Azadin slashed hobgoblins apart. In the next instant, he dropped low and surged forward at high speed, bisecting another group entirely.
Linking Phoenix Wind Moon to Kazas Steps created dual earth spiders, golden sword flashes dancing to annihilate the hobgoblins in moments.
The seramite blade dulled and chipped from the abuse, though.
When Azadin raised the sword, flames reignited, melting the edge and reforming it. A gleaming, pristine blade reflected the moonlight like new.
‘I see. This is Aurelia’s Dun. What a fine sword.’
Azadin appreciated the seramite longsword’s appeal.
A blade that, like a phoenix, immolated itself to regenerate.
In the past, it would have been perfect for Azadin, who frequently broke weapons due to Kazas Steps’ superhuman strength.
Even without that strength now, decapitating hobgoblins necessitated frequent edge revival.
But then.
“No way….”
The watching relief knights were dumbfounded.
‘Isn’t igniting a seramite longsword something only true holy knights can do?’
‘Why is that guy’s seramite longsword on fire?’
‘And the blade melted and reformed itself!’
With the Relief Knights’ holy power waning, only their most capable holy knights could summon flames from seramite longswords.
For Azadin to draw them out so effortlessly left everyone in shock.
And that wasn’t the only surprise.
The linked assault from Phoenix Wind Moon to Kazas Steps was devastating. He had wiped out the hobgoblin archers single-handedly.
“Eek.”
“No way!”
“R-R-Retreat!”
Mezzeri’s Apostles tried to flee upon seeing the hobgoblins massacred.
But Azadin scooped up a fallen explosive canister from the ground and batted it with his seramite longsword toward them.
The flames connected, detonating the canister amid the Apostles.
“Argh!”
The fleeing Mezzeri’s Apostles panicked. Azadin moved to pursue, but—
-Drip.
A drop of blood fell from Azadin’s chin.
‘Hm?’
Wiping his chin left blood on the back of his hand. Startled, Azadin touched his face. Blood tears streamed from his eyes.
‘Ah.’
His body wasn’t fully recovered yet. With his newfound inheritance of Arael’s magical talent, Azadin’s power was immense, but his body couldn’t handle it.
‘A shame.’
Dizziness hit along with a wave of heat. His head burned, vertigo setting in. Azadin halted the chase.
That was when something flew toward him from behind.
“Hm?”
He snatched it midair—it was, astonishingly, the moon antler bow.
“Ha.”
Azadin knew who had thrown it and tucked the moon antler bow into his belt.
*********
Jan, the decurion of northern Aragas, escaped amid the chaos.
Though he had seemingly surrendered to Azadin, staying by his side would surely lead to interrogation by the Relief Knights.
No matter how tough Aragas were, torture would break anyone.
He could withhold the truth, but survivors of torture usually ended up as wrecks—so suicide beforehand was wiser.
“But I never dreamed you’d come to rescue me.”
Jan bowed his head to his savior.
“Of course. Father sees himself as emperor, after all. He wants the loyalty of the Aragas.”
Amid countless beasts, Mezzeri’s Apostles, and Spider Queen Atra’s followers stood a silver-haired youth of Yae gas divine blood.
“Then let’s talk on the way. Jan. I’m curious just what kind of monster captured you alive.”