Chapter 266
Chapter 266
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 266
Chapter Title: Chadra's Overlord 4
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“Whoa?! What the—.”
Startled by the unexpected situation, Sir Brahm tried to draw his sword, but Legion charged at him and seized his wrist.
Legion shifted into his wolf form and thrust his sharp fangs against Sir Brahm’s throat.
“Stay put, old man. Unless you’re eager to check out of this world today.”
The half-orc Kuntachi drew his massive falchion, like a slab of iron, and menaced the others.
‘Damn, my mistake. I should’ve left Fireglyph right away. Looks like the Chadra Ogres went after us first.’
Sir Brahm now understood why Azadin had come looking for Chasan.
Among the Chadra Ogres, the one with the strongest organization and finances was Smuggling King Chasan. From Azadin’s perspective, he was the top priority to take down.
But who would’ve thought they’d pursue them on the very day the summit collapsed.
‘And for Chasan to go down in one hit.’
Chasan was a monster in bare-knuckle brawls too. He’d subdued every malcontent by binding their wrists together, climbing atop a beer barrel, and beating them into submission.
A natural-born brawler and powerful red-mana sorcerer.
No one had expected Chasan to be neutralized in a single clash with Azadin.
And yet...
“Impressive...”
“Hey, you.”
Even among Chasan’s own men, some were entranced by Azadin.
Azadin’s refined features and the restrained elegance of his martial display made it seem like art in motion.
“Grrrrr!”
Enraged, Chasan staggered to his feet.
His jaw was shattered and bloody, but he still glared with hostility, trying to cast a spell.
“Enough of that. Move again, and you die.”
At Azadin’s warning, Kuntachi pressed the falchion’s edge to Chasan’s throat.
“Grrrk.”
Blood and foam bubbled from his broken jaw, and a cold blade hovered at his neck.
Even in this state, Chasan refused to yield and kept talking.
“You think I’m shaking because I fear death?!”
“Why don’t you fear death?”
Azadin countered Chasan’s shout.
“...What?”
Chasan faltered at the unexpected question.
Azadin crossed his legs, gazing deeply at him with genuine curiosity.
“What are you trying to prove by transcending death? Why throw away your fear of it?”
“Because dying at the hands of a bookworm like you would make me a laughingstock!”
Azadin let out a sigh at Chasan’s words.
“...Then you really shouldn’t resist now. You’d end up dying at the hands of a bookworm like me.”
“You bastard!”
Fresh fire blazed in Chasan’s eyes.
But in that instant, Kuntachi struck Chasan’s jaw with the flat of his blade.
Even a light tap sent Chasan tumbling.
“Keep those eyes meek, you. I won’t forgive that look in front of Boss Azadin.”
Kuntachi apparently didn’t like the fire in Chasan’s eyes.
Azadin wasn’t fond of Chasan either.
“That’s not courage. It’s the cowardice of someone even worse—choosing suicide just to avoid becoming a joke.”
“What?!”
Chasan sputtered blood and foam like a crab or lobster, indignant all the same.
Call him a coward?! No one had ever dared before.
“Chasan. What were you building your power for? What did you crave so badly that you peddled drugs to amass wealth? That’s what I want to hear.”
“You punk! What do you know about me, acting like you do?”
“That’s why I’m asking.”
-Shwaaarak!
Black steel chains materialized from Azadin’s hand.
They looked like thin strands that could snap easily, but the eerie chill unique to black steel gave them an ominous presence.
Azadin hurled the chains, wrapping them around Chasan and activating the curse. The glowing tattoos on Chasan’s body began to dim.
Like cooling metal, the tattoos lost their luster and went cold, leaving Chasan panicked.
His mana wouldn’t budge at all.
“Y-You bastard! If you take me out, my organization won’t sit still!”
Removing a crime syndicate’s boss usually sparked power struggles among the underlings, breeding more chaos. Eliminating Chasan was unwise.
For Azadin, who’d temporarily seized Fireglyph, it was especially reckless. But...
“If it comes to that, I’ll handle it.”
Azadin declared boldly.
He’d chosen to confront Chasan’s organization head-on rather than cut a deal.
“Are all of you here accounted for? I hope so.”
But then Sir Brahm spoke up.
“There’s another hideout besides this one. Sir Azadin.”
“What?!”
Chasan, watching it all, was stunned.
“Y-You traitor...”
“Don’t strain yourself talking, Chasan. It’ll worsen your recovery later.”
Sir Brahm expressed concern for Chasan’s condition. But gone was the fawning attitude of always calling him “Boss”—Chasan knew it was betrayal for sure.
“You dog! You’re dead! My brothers will... you traitor!”
But Chasan’s words ended there.
At Azadin’s gesture, Kuntachi fetched rope and a gag, binding Chasan’s mouth.
“Don’t blabber with a shattered jaw and risk dying. Sir Brahm, shall we talk? Why cooperate with me? Frankly, it’s sudden even for me.”
“You’re seeing things.”
“Seeing things?”
“The age of Jupiter approaches.”
“......”
“That’s why I turned to vice and submitted to Chasan. Indulging in pleasure let me forget death... and ruin.”
Sir Brahm confessed shamefully.
“And I feared Chasan’s brutality. As a knight, it disqualifies me. In the end, I’m a vile coward.”
“Then welcome aboard, Sir Brahm.”
Azadin accepted Sir Brahm’s allegiance.
*********
Chasan’s smuggling network spanned Fireglyph and the entire Chadra Plateau.
They were armed, with hideouts and communication lines scattered everywhere.
They’d even bribed Fireguards, boasting a hydra-like organization impossible to fully subdue, no matter how long it took.
But with the number two, Sir Brahm, defecting to Azadin, dismantling the group in Fireglyph at least went smoothly.
*********
In the Fireguard barracks—formerly Sir Timothy’s headquarters—Azadin now sat, acting as interim Chapter Master.
“Do you trust Sir Brahm, Azadin?”
Ismilla approached Azadin during a brief rest, uneasy about Brahm.
“Hmm. Why the doubt?”
“I’m worried. Sir Brahm is a Hospitaller-Paladin. Highest-ranking rescue knight on the Chadra Plateau right now. What if he’s angling for the next Chapter Master spot...?”
Ismilla feared Brahm might be feigning submission to hide ambition.
But Azadin shook his head.
“Sir Brahm has too many weaknesses first off. Colluding with Chasan, too old, no chance of Chapter Master appointment. Plus, he’s a drug addict himself.”
“A drug addict? Then you shouldn’t trust him at all.”
“But he’s courageous enough to earn trust.”
“Pardon?”
“Normal people don’t call themselves cowards out loud. Plenty would rather die than hear it. So someone who admits being a coward has the guts to confess their weakness.”
“Ah. Aha ha.”
Ismilla burst out laughing at Azadin’s words.
“Why?”
“No reason. You sound just like my mentors.”
“Well, I’m a holy knight by title, so I’ve got to say holy knight things sometimes. My faith runs deeper than you think, Lady Ismilla.”
Azadin said it in a tone that could be jest or earnest.
Just then, the Fireguard office door burst open.
“Argh! What have you done, Sir Azadin?!”
Sir Pavel stormed in himself.
“Rebellion at Southeast Rock Fortress! Chasan’s dwarf sorcerer brothers seized it, took the quartermaster hostage! They’re threatening to kill him unless we release Chasan! And I’m the acting Chapter Master when this happens?!”
Sir Pavel was trembling. He’d toppled the Chapter Master and taken the role—unfitting as it was—and now rebellion on top. Events beyond his ability left him reeling.
“No, Sir Pavel. You’re the acting Chapter Master. Why come to me in person instead of sending a herald?”
“Send a herald to the Herald clan? No, that’s not the point—this mess is your fault for provoking the Chadra Ogres. How will you take responsibility? I’m gasping, heart pounding, can’t think straight.”
“So rebellion at Southeast Rock Fortress? Perfect. That.”
“Perfect?! In this situation?”
“It gives us a great pretext to root out the rampant corruption here, doesn’t it? Plus, Sir Pavel, all this becomes your achievement.”
“My achievement? What do you mean?”
“The previous Chapter Master was a traitor to the knights, so naturally his ranks were full of rotten pus. Squeeze it out, excise the rot, and the higher-ups will praise you accordingly.”
“Hah, but against goblins maybe—not humans. I’ve never seen blood.”
“Come on, Sir Pavel. You guard Fireglyph. Leave the rebellion to me; you handle Chapter Master duties here.”
Azadin reassured Sir Pavel and stood.
“Suppression won’t take a week.”
“Th-Then I’ll leave it to you, Sir Azadin.”
Pavel relaxed at Azadin’s promise of quelling the Southeast Rock Fortress revolt in just one week, but Ismilla was shocked.
“Southeast Rock Fortress is two or three days’ walk. Quell it in a week?”
Realistically, only a day or two of leeway. But Azadin smiled brightly.
“I’ve already prepared and been waiting. Heh. No need to worry, Lady Ismilla.”
“Hmm. Feels like a con.”
Ismilla eyed Azadin’s smile suspiciously.