Chapter 256
Chapter 256
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 256
Chapter Title: Whereabouts of the Angel's Blood 1
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‘Hmm. She’s staring way too much.’
Azadin felt a pang of embarrassment as he caught Izmira gazing at him with eyes full of admiration.
“Sir Azadin. You’re truly a role model for all knights. That exceptional martial prowess, insight, and cool-headedness, all while cherishing justice and upholding virtue with such unwavering resolve.”
“No, it’s not quite that impressive.”
Just moments ago, he had struck a deal with the Northern Aragasa and deceived her. It was troubling to have her trust him so completely.
But Izmira interpreted even this as humility on his part.
“The fact that I’m a Celestial who received the angel’s blood, and this angelic form—it was all a closely guarded secret of the Knights. But Sir Azadin, you’re someone I can trust. So allow me to share another secret with you.”
“Another secret?”
“Healing magic.”
“Healing magic?”
“Yes.”
With that, Izmira cast a spell on Kuntachi, the most severely injured among their group.
A soft ring of light enveloped McDougal, and his wounds visibly began to heal.
‘Miracle-based healing magic! That’s supposed to be something only a king can use.’
In the Church of the King, even kings required their own blood as a catalyst to cast healing magic, limiting its use due to blood loss separate from mana consumption.
Yet Izmira wielded miracle-based healing magic freely, without any apparent strain.
“I can only use it after transforming into my Celestial form, but something like this is no burden at all. It’s one of the Knights’ secrets. But Sir Azadin, you and your subordinates are trustworthy.”
Having said that, Izmira retracted her wings and returned to her human appearance.
“Impressive. No wonder the Knights treasure you so.”
“I’m ashamed, Sir Azadin. I ended up kidnapped by the enemy, after all. I can only lament my shortcomings.”
She had felt powerless both during the pilgrimage attack and now.
‘Objectively speaking, her swordsmanship is solid, her mana exceptional as a Celestial, her anti-magic resistance seems tremendous, and her body is sturdy.’
It wasn’t a lack of skill on her part; the problem stemmed from enemies targeting her specifically as a Celestial. Still, with misfortunes piling up, she couldn’t help but feel diminished.
“That’s why I need your help, Sir Azadin.”
“Hmm. I figured it might come to that. Tell me more.”
At Azadin’s prompting, Izmira pointed down the road.
“Let’s talk as we walk. The sun will set soon.”
The sun was setting over Fireglyph Fortress.
At an inn on the outskirts of Fireglyph Fortress, the investigation team members had gathered.
They had been pacing anxiously when they spotted Lady Izmira returning along the road and rushed out of the inn.
“Lady Izmira!”
“You’re safe!”
“But who’s that with you…?”
They welcomed her return but recoiled in surprise.
Izmira hadn’t come back alone—she was with others, Azadin’s group.
“Rest easy. This is Sir Azadin, who rescued me.”
“Sir Azadin?”
“He helped during the pilgrimage attack as well. Currently…”
“I am Azadin, Squire Knight serving as guard captain of Vermilion Fortress. Brothers.”
Though Azadin called them brothers, they all wore troubled expressions.
It was common for Knights to address each other as brothers, but factions divided them sharply—Wisdom, Courage, Mercy, and so on.
Moreover, Azadin presented an issue that superseded factions.
‘This guy’s one of those infamous Herald clansmen?’
‘God-King Slayer. The Soulless Blasphemer calling us brothers?’
‘Sure, he saved Lady Izmira, but did he really? He shows up every time she’s in danger—like during the pilgrimage attack and now. What if he’s the culprit?’
‘But damn, he’s handsome. Charismatic, even.’
They distrusted Azadin.
Then the highest-ranking among them, the investigation leader, stepped forward.
“Ah, Sir Azadin. First off, thank you for saving Lady Izmira. I’m Pavel, commander of this investigation team. Hospitaller. I won’t forget your merit and will report it to the higher-ups.”
“Thank you.”
“But do you know about Lady Izmira’s… true nature?”
“Her true nature? You mean her angelic wings?”
“Hmm, so you saw. Please keep it under wraps.”
“Of course, there’s no reason to speak of it publicly. But I’m not the only one who saw—plenty of people in the city did. And given how relentlessly the enemies target her, they likely already know.”
As Azadin pointed out, the Northern Commander’s subordinates already knew Izmira was a Celestial and had prepared black steel chains laced with a powerful binding curse to capture her.
Yet even in this situation, the rigid structure of the Knights left them hesitant.
“We’ve reported to the higher-ups for now. We can’t act rashly until we hear back.”
Sir Pavel exemplified unwavering adherence to protocol.
How long would it take for a response, even if they contacted headquarters now?
Izmira then spoke up.
“Sir Pavel, Fireglyph lacks even a diocese, so reporting to the higher-ups means relying on couriers. We can’t predict the delay, and we can’t just sit idly by. That’s why I wish to request Sir Azadin’s assistance here.”
“What?! What do you mean, Lady Izmira?”
“Sir Azadin already knows my secret, and he excels in both martial arts and strategy. Besides, as a fellow Knight, there’s no better ally for fulfilling our mission. With the casualties from the enemy’s cunning ambush, don’t we need his help?”
“But our investigation isn’t limited to your identity, Lady Izmira. It concerns vital secrets no mere Squire Knight should know…”
Sir Pavel tried to oppose Azadin’s involvement.
But then—
*********
“Hey, we haven’t even agreed to help, so why are they debating among themselves like we need them or something? Azadin! Ignore these guys. Even if we help, they won’t say a kind word.”
The bandit Camilla openly vented her irritation.
“No…”
Investigation leader Pavel was flustered by Camilla’s rudeness in expressing disgust at their conduct.
The team members were outraged by her words.
“How rude!”
“Who do you think you are?!”
“Who am I? The one who lent a hand in saving your precious Lady Izmira, whom you adore to death. Why should I be grateful for thanks that are already overdue, only to get this insulting treatment? Huh?!”
As Camilla barreled in with her temper, Azadin restrained her.
“Enough, Camilla.”
“What? But Azadin! No need to let these fools play you for a sap.”
“Camilla. Calm down. There’s something more important right now.”
With that, Azadin suddenly drew the sword strapped to his back.
The heirloom of the Knight of Wisdom, Plank—Aurelia Dun gleamed with a soft golden sheen, reflecting the moonlight.
“What?!”
“Why draw your sword?!”
The flustered Sir Pavel and investigation members drew their weapons in unison.
“Before that, let me ask one thing. Why are you all outside the city walls right now?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You should be under investigation by Knight Hexenmeyer’s soldiers alongside the doppelganger corpse. How did you get out of Fireglyph?”
The investigation team had been involved in an assault and murder inside the city, and Izmira had revealed her angelic wings before the masses.
Azadin’s group had fled before the chaos spread, but by now, Fireglyph Fortress would be on high alert, monitoring all comings and goings.
Yet here they were, outside the walls?
Had Fireglyph’s chapter master, Knight Hexenmeyer, let them go?
Azadin questioned this.
“We left because we didn’t know what threats might lurk inside Fireglyph itself.”
“Is that so? Then could everyone please remove their helmets?”
“What?”
“It’s nothing major. Doppelganger transformations are hard to detect even with most scanning spells. But…”
Azadin sliced off a lock of his own hair with the blade and let the wind scatter it.
The black strands fluttered in the breeze, catching the moonlight.
“By cutting off a small lock of hair and letting it fall, you can tell if it’s a doppelganger. Everyone, remove your helmets and snip off a bit of hair, please.”
“T-This bastard’s suspecting us?”
The investigation knights panicked. But Izmira glared at them and spoke.
“We were ambushed by a doppelganger in broad daylight. And you find the suspicion offensive…? Suspicious.”
“No, Lady Izmira.”
“Look.”
Izmira drew her dagger and trimmed the end of her own hair.
“Hmm. There’s logic to it. But what about me?”
Sir Pavel said this and removed his helmet.
His smooth bald head reflected the moonlight.
“Eyebrows or beard work too. But no need for that.”
Azadin suddenly leaned forward and shot out like an arrow.
He had caught the sinister movements of two knights beside Sir Pavel.
“Guh?!”
“Argh!”
Azadin swung Aurelia Dun, slashing the two knights, then raised the blade skyward.
The two collapsed, morphing into mercury-like liquid pouches that splattered on the ground.
“D-Doppelgangers?!”
The investigation members were stunned—doppelgangers had infiltrated their midst, and Azadin had detected and felled them in an instant with his terrifying swordsmanship.
Azadin had targeted only the doppelgangers, but if he’d gone after them too?
Could they have blocked the attack from moments ago?
The thought sent chills down their spines.
“Now, the rest of you—care to trim some hair?”
Azadin politely requested as he heated the blade red-hot, burning away the blood, while holding a sword stance pointed skyward—one of swordsmanship’s ready forms that brooked no defiance, despite his courteous tone.
“Hmm. Very well.”
As Sir Pavel moved to trim his beard, Azadin stopped him.
“You don’t need to.”