Chapter 253
Chapter 253
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 253
Chapter Title: The Knights' Secret Weapon 7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“These bastards!”
Delia vented her irritation at Camilla, who had pinned her down and was bursting into laughter.
It was because of Azadin that she'd been subdued in the first place—mere prey mocking her like this.
But their attention was focused elsewhere.
“Huh. Lady Izumila's here? I liked that woman.”
Kuntachi perked up at the mention of Lady Izumila being there.
Azadin said as much while fiddling with the leather strap of his ceramite longsword, Aurelia Dunn's.
“They say angel blood goes into making ceramite longswords. I've heard the Knights of Wisdom research alchemy and magitech on their own, and they've reached a very high level. Isn't Lady Izumila one of the results of that research? And that's why they targeted her.”
“Ugh...”
“So, Delia—what's the deal? If those doppelgangers all got taken out by Izumila and left bodies at the scene, you might get tracked down. Better clean it up quick.”
“What are you scheming?”
“Thinking of exchanging information. How's the clan faring? What about the Elder Council? How's it going since Leader Hatir died? The Curse of Service is broken, but you've lost the Emperor's voice too, right?”
“If you hadn't betrayed us, we could've seized at least two kingdoms, decoded the secrets of the Divine King Array Scripture, and become rulers of this land!”
“Looks like the Elder Council still hasn't given up. Did you abandon the hunt for Divine King Array Scripture copies after I returned most of them to the Btuma Throne? So your next target was the Rescue Knights? Hmm. Who's leading the clan now? How's the Etar Bloodline doing?”
Azadin fired off questions relentlessly before pausing to catch his breath.
“And... Midiam Etar and her squire Ismail? Are they safe?”
When Azadin had lost his way and wandered, Midiam Etar had restored his voice to him. For the humiliated Azadin, who had suffered persecution from his own clan, receiving back the words he had spoken and the beliefs he had held—from someone else, no less—was a first.
Positive interaction with another person. Goodwill and trust, pure and simple, not pity or attachment like with Aldis.
He was worried about Midiam Etar.
But the Etar Bloodline wouldn't have let their heir die.
Besides, Azadin had a major plan now that he couldn't abandon midway.
So rather than go looking for Midiam right away, he planned to focus on this first. Still, it couldn't hurt to ask.
“I'm not telling you! You're a traitor to the clan!”
Delia refused to answer.
From that reaction, she seemed safe at least.
They could've tormented him by saying she was captured or being tortured, but they weren't pulling that. Maybe Delia didn't know, or maybe things were truly fine.
“You say that like you used to believe it. And I'm just faithfully serving as the Emperor's Herald. You're the ones who betrayed the mission.”
Just then, as Azadin spoke, the doppelgangers brought tea.
He'd told them to bring tea, and they'd actually done it. They looked displeased, clearly reluctant.
Azadin took the cup and held it out to Bernard.
“It's poisoned. Red mushroom toxin. Won't tarnish silver needles, but you'll suffer high fever and diarrhea before dying.”
Bernard explained clearly, and the doppelgangers made excuses.
“No, it's just... serving plain tea felt too lame, you know? Surrendering without a fight looks spineless.”
“Our nature compelled us. Not out of malice—just our instincts. Bear with us.”
“Hmm, fair enough. I'll overlook it. But you get why my nature demands I punish you for threatening my life, right? Right side!”
Azadin said it and slapped the right cheek with his right hand.
The doppelganger couldn't block in time—the slap landed first.
“Left side.”
For the next one, he called left, and the doppelganger quickly raised an arm to block.
But Azadin swung wide, snaking his hand through the guard to smack the doppelganger's ear.
A human's eardrum would've burst.
“........”
‘We blocked, but he hit through our arm—what's the point of calling it then?’
‘Damn it. We're getting beaten by a human.’
‘Is that guy even human?’
The doppelgangers couldn't grasp why they were getting hit.
It was like frogs before a viper—paralyzed, taking unilateral beatings under that overwhelming pressure.
“So. Haven't you teamed up with the Northern Regime? Those Northern Aragasas.”
What drove them even madder was Azadin casually asking as if nothing had happened, like it was his due.
Azadin was strictly drawing the line as the Emperor's Herald and his support organization.
If he saw them as outright enemies, they could fight for their lives. But he treated them as part of a friendly organization.
Even now, being treated as allies was terrifying—what if they crossed that line?
Even evil-natured doppelgangers suffered from their own imaginations.
Azadin's actions tormented them, but imagining him turning more vicious beyond that line made their legs shake.
Imagination's fear outweighed direct pain.
Azadin dominated the scene by exploiting that very terror.
“Ugh... I can't say!”
Delia still refused Azadin's questions.
‘Come on, just tell him.’
‘She thinks she won't get hit...’
The doppelgangers glared resentfully at Delia for her pointless pride.
“But you okay with that? When the doppelgangers attacked, Izumila wiped them out. Then the Northern Aragasas snatched her up like you'd prepped her for them.”
“What?”
“If you're allies, the timed attack worked. If not, you got played.”
“Damn it! You just watched? No, wait—never mind.”
Delia jumped at the news that Northern Aragasas had kidnapped Izumila and Azadin had seen it, then caught herself.
That reaction suggested the Elder Council hadn't allied with the Northern Regime or Aragasas yet.
“Then let's look at this alchemy gear contract. How much?”
Azadin took the papers from Bernard and checked the amount.
“Aren't you ripping me off? You're just ordering from Half-Spirit dwarves. Shipping to Tarasar would be cheaper than this.”
“This is Chadra Plateau. Be grateful we're even doing business here.”
“Normally, shouldn't you be giving the Emperor's Herald funds instead of taking his money? Whatever, I'm also serving as a squire knight with the Rescue Knights now. Fine. I'll pay. But you deliver to Vermilion Fortress. Not a single flask broken.”
“......”
“Alright, we're off. You doppelgangers died in the street, so keep a low profile. Delia. Oh, almost forgot.”
Azadin approached Delia and suddenly reached out.
Startled, Delia unwittingly hugged him.
“Y-you! What are you doing with Lord Arael's face...”
“Azuresteel arrows, right? I'll take some.”
Azadin pulled the azuresteel arrows—Blue Steel Piercers—from the quiver strapped to Delia's back and left the Bandike Trading Company with his subordinates.
“Oh, and if you have any farmers or laborers, recommend them to Vermilion Fortress. Want to boost the population. Plenty of carrying capacity, so no worries. See you.”
“Ugh! You traitor!”
Delia's face flushed red with fury, beside herself. Azadin smirked at her and departed with his group.
“So that's the traitor Azadin.”
“...Yeah.”
The evil shapeshifter doppelgangers sighed in relief as Azadin left.
They felt played every which way, but for now, they were just grateful he was out of sight.
*********
“You sure about letting them live? Doppelgangers are evil by nature. Monsters obsessed with killing people and devouring their forms.”
Camilla asked Azadin seriously.
“They have a trading company base. Killing them now would put me, a mere squire knight, in a tough spot. More importantly, rescuing Lady Izumila.”
Azadin said as they headed toward Firegliff's north gate.
“And they'll be useful later.”
*********
Arael's voice soared like a bird through the skies, pursuing the Northern Aragasas who had kidnapped Izumila. The Aragasas rendezvoused with allies at a watermill outside Firegliff's gates, including a mage among them.
This mage wore a robe etched with bizarre runes all over. Just that outfit would get him arrested passing any proper castle or gate—highly suspicious.
He extended a finger from the robe.
Sharp nails, crooked finger—clearly not human. He pointed at the sky.
“Oh my god. There's surveillance magic up high!”
“What?”
“A Foresight Bird?”
“Something like it, but stronger and more sinister.”
“Damn! Azadin, then.”
Decurion Jan realized why Azadin hadn't pursued them directly.
Azadin had tailed them to track their path and was waiting.
Lucky the mage spotted it, but he grumbled.
“You idiots—I had high hopes since you're like that herald clan, but you bring a tail like this!”
“What? Insulting us?”
“Watch your mouth, mage. Unless you want to feel the Aragasas' power...”
The Northern Aragasas threatened the mage, but he didn't take it seriously.
Confident in his strength, or harboring other intentions from the start—who knew, but he wasn't to be trifled with.
Ignoring their threats and snarls, the mage spoke.
“Who's talking power? I mean the grayish tofu you lug around in your skulls.”
“You...”
The Aragasas exuded murderous intent, but the mage met it with a sneer, grinding non-human teeth in a sharp, inhuman voice.
In that hair-trigger tension where they seemed ready to kill each other, their prisoner Izumila awoke.