Chapter 268
Chapter 268
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 268
Chapter Title: Chadra's Conqueror 6
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When a member of the Herald Tribe became a Squire Knight and arrived at the Chadra Plateau, everyone thought it was intriguing but no big deal.
The Chadra Plateau was the very bottom of the crucible where prisoners and delinquents were locked away.
If a Herald became a Holy Knight, there was nowhere else for them to go but here.
However, Azadin's subsequent outrageous actions plunged everyone into shock.
Less than two months after taking office, Azadin exposed Chapter Master Sir Hexenmeyer's corruption and had him arrested.
And in just one week, he captured Chasan—known as one of the Chadra Five Evils and founder of the Dwarven Arrow—and dismantled his entire organization.
It was only natural that Azadin's name now reverberated across the entire Chadra Plateau—no, the whole Salvation Knight Order.
*********
Azadin left Legion's troops, Bernard and Giacomo, and Sir Brahm at the Southeast Rock Fortress.
“Bernard and Giacomo, cast Vitality Enhancement on the drug addicts.”
For drug addict rehabilitation, civilian remedies often used expensive herbs like ginseng.
But the Vitality Enhancement spell could replicate ginseng's effects.
“Are we two supposed to handle this many patients?”
“There are more mages, aren’t there?”
Azadin pointed to Chasan and the Dwarven Sorcerers bound in black iron chains.
“Teach them blood magic so they can cast Vitality Enhancement. No, most of them can probably cast it right now anyway?”
“Then what will you do, Captain? Leaving so many troops here and heading out…”
“I’m taking Kuntachi and Camilla to meet Sir Selim.”
“Sir Selim? Isn’t it dangerous to meet him with so few people?”
“The place that needs numbers is here, the Southeast Rock Fortress. With Selim, I plan to settle things peacefully with words.”
“…….”
“You look doubtful, Bernard.”
“You haven’t settled much with words so far.”
Bernard said this and handed Azadin an Ajustil dagger and arrowheads.
“What’s this?”
“The dwarves had them. Dwarven-made Ajustil dagger—should be pretty useful.”
“Hmm. Nice. Aurelia Dungeon has regeneration, but honestly, the cutting feel was dull. Got newly sharpened blue steel too. Perfect.”
Azadin packed away the Ajustil gear and set off.
*********
Sir Selim’s domain was a place called the Chadra Artesian Basin, smack in the middle of a Chadra Plateau valley once overrun by wild beasts.
Rain from the plateau bubbled up as artesian springs here, lined by forests, giants’ ruins, and vast grasslands the giants had cleared for fields.
Countless wild animals swarmed the area, making it a horrific place no one could live in…
Every path had been torn up by all sorts of animals.
“No imperial highway here. Even the Emperor couldn’t conquer the Salvation Knights.”
Azadin spurred his horse around what used to be a road, now churned to mud by countless hooves.
“Hey, Captain. From the sky…”
“I know.”
Azadin felt eyes gazing down on their horses from above.
A griffin circled high overhead, watching Azadin’s group.
Griffins were bear-sized monsters, but at that height, it looked like a tiny cloud—hard to make out with the naked eye.
No wonder everyone fell helplessly when one dove from the sky to strike horses.
“Think it’ll dive like an eagle?”
“Doubt it. Griffins are heavier than eagles. Won’t plunge straight down—it’ll glide in from behind to attack. Fast and huge, of course.”
Azadin said this and nocked an arrow.
But had it sensed something from Azadin?
The griffin’s killing intent vanished in an instant.
And then…
With a screech like “Kueek,” other beasts came under griffin attack.
It dove onto a zebra, its strike ripping half the neck away.
Blood cascaded like a waterfall from the staggering zebra. The griffin clamped down, kicked off the ground, reared up on bearlike hind legs, and slammed its prey into the dirt.
Prey was plentiful, so it opted to hunt beasts over risky humans.
“Smart beast.”
Azadin kept his bow at the ready, still wary of the griffin, and rode on.
*********
Fences appeared amid the Chadra Artesian Basin grasslands.
This was the Chadra Artesian Ranch, built to supply horses to the Salvation Knights.
Sir Selim’s stronghold.
“Hmm.”
Azadin frowned at the horse carcasses dangling from the ranch fences, rotting away.
Griffin kills, half-eaten and left to fester irresponsibly.
“Who goes there?!”
A voice rang out from beneath the ranch fence.
Ranch hands huddled under the fence, armed with glaives, glaring at Azadin.
Trenches dug beneath the fences crisscrossed the whole ranch.
Likely paths to dodge griffin dives from above.
“I’m Squire Knight Azadin of the Salvation Knights.”
“Huh? Y-you’re him?”
The ranch hands glanced around wildly at the sight of Azadin.
“C-come to take out Sir Selim?”
“I came to talk. Why?”
“Please kill that mad bullhead. This isn’t living.”
“What do you mean? What’d he do? Eat people?”
“No.”
“H-he’s hatching griffin eggs.”
“What?”
*********
Griffins, monstrous beasts, reproduced by laying eggs—and like most monsters, half never hatched, dying off.
But Selim gathered those griffin eggs and hatched them right at home.
Then raised the hatchlings by feeding them.
“Griffins eat, shit, and rampage everywhere here.”
“They’ve got this habit of hurling half-eaten stuff sky-high. Horse heads plummeting from nowhere, smashing roofs and wrecking houses—happens every day.”
“And their shit’s so toxic.”
“People get hurt, die—it’s chaos. That’s why we’re crawling through burrows underground. Griffins scare us shitless.”
“Can’t even tend the horses and cows properly. This place was abundant—no problems scraping by, even if remote—until that damn minotaur showed up!”
The ranch hands gazed at Azadin like a messiah, pleading desperately.
“Please, kill that bullhead.”
“But it doesn’t seem like a death sentence offense. Worse reaction than the tyrants?”
“Tyrants want money or women—at least their greed makes sense. A madman? No understanding that.”
“Ah, got it. First, let me see Selim. He’s a Salvation Knight too—can’t just kill him outright.”
Azadin shelved the ranch hands’ plea to outright slay Sir Selim and gave separate orders to Camilla and Kuntachi.
“Camilla. Scout Selim’s place.”
“Right. That minotaur might be snacking on people out back?”
“Yeah. Kuntachi. Guard your big sis.”
“Okay. Kuntachi guard sis.”
Azadin sent Camilla and Kuntachi off to investigate separately, then headed for Selim’s residence.
*********
Selim sat at the dairy ranch, sipping fodder tea while eyeing the cows.
A pastoral scene: tea table set before grazing cattle. But with a minotaur seated there, the beastman’s bull head clashed grotesquely with the cows.
Griffins wheeled across the ranch’s clear sky to boot.
*The cows okay? Griffins attacking them?*
Azadin pondered this when—
“Oh, Sir Azadin, isn’t it.”
“Sir Selim.”
“That’s Maribel. The dairy cow I told you about. Pretty, huh?”
“…….”
To Azadin, just your average black cow.
“Looks cleaner than the others. No sign of illness.”
“Right? Knew you’d appreciate it.”
Appreciate what? Azadin held back the retort, cleared his throat, and approached Selim.
“Care for some?”
Selim offered Azadin a cup of fodder tea.
Chopped hay boiled with oats—looked utterly inedible for humans.
“No thanks. My stomach couldn’t handle it. Anyway, Sir Selim.”
“I heard. Took down Chasan, huh? Impressive. Dwarven sorcerers aren’t easy.”
Azadin had crushed them easily, but only because he was a Herald Tribe member specialized in killing mages.
Azadin knew this full well, so he stayed vigilant despite toppling Chadra’s Five Evils.
“But the locals are suffering. Hatching griffin eggs?”
“Need more griffins to breed hippogriffs.”
“Why not ride griffins and cut their numbers? Less damage to residents.”
“Listen up, Sir Azadin. Griffins: eagle front, lion rear. Tough to tame, eat a ton. Hippogriffs: eagle front, horse rear. Carnivores but omnivores too, way better ride. Maintenance, comfort, stamina—griffins lose across the board!”
“Not the point of ride comfort. Even if hippogriffs are superior mounts, the process is tormenting residents.”
“They’ll get used to it. End up liking it.”
“And if they don’t? How’ll you answer for that?”
“You know one thing but not two, Azadin. Why d’you think a minotaur like me’s in the Order?”
Selim drained his fodder tea and crunched into hay and oats.
“…Sorry. Gotta chew it all for the flavor.”
“Ruminating too?”
“Ugh…”
He’d said that much but skipped the key bit. Still, Azadin could guess the rest easily enough.
“You joined the Salvation Knights on condition of raising hippogriffs?”
Selim nodded. Still munching hay, he couldn’t speak.
“Yeah. If I pull it off, value blows horses out of the water… and higher-ups want ’em. Who ordered it?”
Selim let out a belch before answering.
“My patron.”
“Who?”
“Bishop Sehnat.”