Chapter 264
Chapter 264
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 264
Chapter Title: Chadra's Overlords 2
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The prisoners calling themselves the Chadra Ogres seemed to have tremendous pride.
If you made the mistake of looking down on them, they might very well fight you to the death.
“That may be so, but what of it, Sir Azadin? How about we cut out the unrelated parties and just talk among ourselves? No need to drag in proxies—let’s speak frankly, just us.”
Chasan was blatantly asking, clearly aware that Azadin was the real power in the investigation team.
“What do the rest of you think?”
Azadin asked the other two Chadra Ogres.
“Chadra Ogres’ notoriety? I’m just an honest holy knight. I merely tamed a hippogriff, caused a bit of an accident, and got dragged here for it.”
“Your problems go beyond that, Selim.”
Sedrin scolded Selim and turned to Azadin.
“I don’t want to agree with that dwarf drug pusher, but you’re Azadin, right? Let’s hear it straight from you. What did you want that made you purge Hexenmeyer? What are the Heralds plotting? Aren’t you satisfied with smashing Korasar and Btuma?”
Everyone was misunderstanding Azadin. They figured since he was a Herald, he must be scheming something, and that’s why he purged Hexenmeyer.
No matter how much Azadin denied it, they saw him as a Herald who had wrought massive destruction and slaughter in Korasar and Btuma—they’d never believe him.
“Our reputation? It does pale compared to the infamy of the Heralds who smashed Btuma and Korasar. In that regard, Sir Azadin, we acknowledge your status... but handing over the Chadra Plateau easily would wound our pride.”
Chasan showed he was just as obsessed with the Chadra Ogres’ prestige.
‘Who are these nobodies I’ve never even heard of, acting like famous war heroes?’
Azadin sighed as he looked at them.
“You probably won’t believe me, but most of my people—the Aragasans you call Heralds—betrayed the Emperor. They acted on ambition, and that led to the massacres in Btuma and Korasar. I, on the other hand, fought against my own kind as the Emperor’s Herald. So now, I’m the only Herald of the Emperor left.”
“Ah, so you bear no responsibility for the massacres in Btuma or Korasar? That’s certainly believable.”
The dwarf smuggler king Chasan sneered. But Sir Selim didn’t seem to catch the sarcasm.
“Huh? Chasan? You believe that? I don’t.”
“It’s sarcasm, you dumb minotaur. Think you’re a cow just ‘cause you’ve got a cow head?”
The elf druid Sedrin sniped, and Sir Selim paused to think before flying into a rage.
“So this guy’s lying to us right now? Unforgivable! Azadin! You’re a squire knight too—how dare you deceive your brothers!”
Surprisingly, Selim’s outrage stemmed from a different place. Unlike the other Chadra Ogres, he genuinely seemed attached to the Hospitaller Knights.
“It’s not a lie—it’s the truth. I’m a Hospitaller, you’re a Hospitaller—why would I lie to a brother from the same Knights of Salvation? The one sneering and refusing to believe the truth I spoke is Chasan. Is it because he’s no knight that he doubts a Hospitaller’s honor?”
Azadin said this, and Sir Selim nodded.
“Exactly. Chasan’s no knight. A dwarf peddling drugs could never be one. Even if the Hospitallers take in all sorts, they still revere the three virtues.”
Coming from the cow-headed Selim, the phrase “all sorts” drew chuckles from everyone.
“But wait—does that mean you really had no hand in the Btuma or Korasar massacres?”
“That’s what I’ve been saying, brother.”
Azadin replied with a smile.
Selim looked flustered.
“Ugh, that smile of yours... it’s as charming as our ranch’s Maribel.”
“Maribel?”
“Our ranch’s finest milk cow. You’d be amazed by her beautiful form if you saw her. She’s really pretty.”
“......”
Being a minotaur, he apparently found cows attractive.
Azadin, suddenly compared to a heifer, fell silent, and the listening druid Sedrin burst into laughter.
“Alright, let’s sum things up. Miss Sedrin, you want the forest warden post in the Black Soil Woods, right?”
“That’s right, but more wouldn’t hurt. Truth be told, I don’t want to hand Firegliff over to the likes of you.”
“And you, Sir Selim?”
“I’ve got a lot to say! I want more hippogriffs to make the knight order prosperous! Flying through the skies together would be awesome!”
“Just so you know, don’t give in. That’s exactly why that guy’s confined to the Chadra Plateau.”
Hippogriffs were phantom beasts born between griffins and horses—fierce in their own right, but miraculous simply by existing.
Trying to breed them artificially was ridiculous; taming griffins was far cheaper. Even accounting for how griffins devoured livestock like they were drinking water.
Even a three-year-old could see how unrealistic Sir Selim’s demands were.
“And you, Chasan?”
“Lift the trade restrictions. If you put commerce in my hands, I could make Firegliff even more prosperous—practically a whole nation.”
“By selling drugs? That’s impossible. You need tariffs for revenue—your way would never build real wealth. And what about the people ruined by drugs?”
Azadin heard their demands and reached a conclusion.
“Sedrin stays as Black Soil Woods warden, status quo. Sir Selim’s hippogriff expansion rejected. Chasan, your demands are absurd—rejected.”
The two others besides Sedrin were displeased.
Even Sedrin wasn’t thrilled.
“Then I won’t agree either. The Black Soil Woods warden is rightfully mine. Maintaining the status quo in exchange for splitting from the Chadra Ogres? If you’re trying to divide us, throw in something extra.”
Sedrin rejected Azadin’s status quo offer.
Selim looked ready to charge at Azadin right then.
“What?! You hate hippogriffs? How can you turn away from such beautiful creatures! You’re a hippogriff hater!”
But just as Sir Selim preached the beauty of hippogriffs, the injured one that had been kicked in the face by Sedrin began groaning and doing its business off the terrace.
The smell of rural manure wafted straight into the office.
“Ah, seriously...”
Chasan leered at Azadin with a sinister smile.
“Heh heh, Sir Azadin, you’re still young. If we Chadra Ogres sabotage your rule, you’ll bear the blame alone when a chapter master’s appointed. Everyone will resent you for smashing Firegliff’s former leader, especially as a Herald. Think you can survive on the Chadra Plateau without our cooperation? This land’s magic runs wild. Even a genius like you can’t handle everything alone—especially after making enemies...”
Azadin sighed as Chasan subtly threatened him.
“You seem to be misunderstanding something. These people stayed quiet under Sir Hexenmeyer—now they want a piece of the pie, and you think I’ll just hand it over?”
“!!!!!”
“Sabotage my rule? Go ahead—I’ll crush you. What I recommend is that you quietly keep enjoying what you have. The knight order left you alone this long because you’re useful presences in this harsh land, after all.”
“You bastard!”
As Chasan raged, his hair and beard floated upward. The tattoos on his body glowed on their own.
The wild druid Sedrin glared at Azadin with slit-pupiled eyes instead of her elven ones.
Sir Selim snorted and glared at Azadin.
“Crush us? Cocky bastard. I like it. How about a duel...”
“Don’t, idiot.”
Sedrin stopped Sir Selim.
“Heralds are assassination specialists. Even you’d be at risk in a straight fight. Think they call him the New King Slayer for nothing? If you lose here and one of our five falls at once, our morale crumbles.”
Sedrin said this and glared at Azadin.
“Hmm. Sir Azadin, let me say this upfront: compared to the other two, we three are the moderate ones. You really plan to form no council and rule Firegliff alone? No change of heart?”
“It’s not that I want to rule—it’s that I can’t hand it over to you. And strictly speaking, Firegliff is governed by Investigation Captain Sir Pavel. I’m just middle management.”
“Fine. Negotiations collapsed. Convey that intent to Niseld and Sok too.”
Sedrin transformed into a crow and flew out the window.
“This is! I need to treat my pretty girl first! How can she just leave?!”
Selim grumbled as he dashed to the terrace. The massive minotaur stomping through the office knocked the ceiling lamp with his horns, shaking it wildly; chairs splintered, tables flipped—chaos ensued.
As he barreled out, his beloved hippogriff already bore the druids’ green regeneration magic.
“Hmm, a healing spell’s already on it. Sedrin knows her manners. Good. Sir Azadin, I’ll be watching you closely! You’ll regret not heeding me!”
Sir Selim and the hippogriff left a massive pile of manure on the terrace and soared into the sky.
“Everyone’s exiting dramatically—I should do something too.”
Chasan said this and nodded at Sir Brahm.
“But skip the pointless theatrics and just go. Sir Azadin, you’ll regret today’s choice. You should’ve taken our gentlemanly offer.”
Chasan and Sir Brahm departed.
“Uh... ugh.”
Sir Pavel was trembling, overwhelmed by the Chadra Ogres’ hostile aura.
“Why did you do that, Sir Azadin? I just wanted to take the long, thin road.”
What a pathetic whine.
But Azadin had to soothe Sir Pavel.