Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Demon of the Gold Coin 4
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The soldiers realized that those bizarre Heralds had no intention of letting them go unharmed and panicked.
“Gaaah!”
A sharp scream shook their eardrums. Only after the last soldier had been blinded and castrated did Azadin finally turn to the border count’s son.
“Phew, you’ve waited a long time. You trash who only heaps more suffering on the people.”
He had taken down twenty soldiers clad in metal armor all by himself. And not by killing them, but by blinding them and castrating them.
“Y-You bastard!”
Young Lord Kozel was terrified by Azadin’s actions.
“I’m a noble! I’m different from those other guys! You think I’ll go down easily?”
At that moment, a blinding flash erupted. Kozel had cast a spell to create an intense burst of light.
“Argh!”
“Y-Young Lord!”
It was so bright that even the soldiers whose eyes were already ruined screamed. Sir Zibek, who knew what Kozel’s magic was, could barely see, his vision swimming. He had closed his eyes and covered them with his hands beforehand, but the light pierced through and ravaged his eyeballs anyway.
“See that! That’s my magic! Proof of my noble bloodline, incomparable to the likes of you!”
In that instant, something sliced through the air with a whoosh. Startled, Young Lord Kozel looked down at his crotch and saw his pants soaked in blood.
“A-Aaaah!”
Azadin’s blade had severed the young lord’s manhood right between his legs.
“Y-You bastard! My… my…”
“Whoops, my apologies.”
Azadin’s sword flashed again, this time slicing off his nose and one eyeball.
“Grah!”
As Young Lord Kozel flailed about, Azadin approached, hoisted him up effortlessly, and stood him on his feet.
“Uwaaaah. Y-You bastard… what the hell have you done to me?”
“What, is something wrong with your body? You don’t even know what happened to you? Some condition where you can’t feel pain or something?”
“Y-You bastard.”
Young Lord Kozel shook off Azadin’s hand, retreated backward, and shouted.
“W-Wait a second!”
He still had one eyeball left. He had to protect it at all costs. If he lost that too, he’d spend the rest of his life in darkness.
“W-What do you want? Money? Women? A treasured sword? I’ll give you anything. I’m a noble! Descendant of the God King, the Yaegas divine race!”
“Is that so? Funny thing is, I’m a Herald of the God King Slayer. Don’t worry. I’m not going to kill you.”
As Azadin smiled and stepped closer, Young Lord Kozel glanced around frantically before fixing his gaze on Sir Zibek, who was still unharmed.
“S-Sir! What are you doing? Help me!”
“…I can’t see.”
Because of the light Young Lord Kozel had just unleashed, Sir Zibek’s vision was still blurry. Of course, he could make out vague shapes now, and if pushed to fight, he probably could—but the image of Kozel mercilessly tormenting the suffering villagers was burned into his mind, weighing down his body.
There was no way he could beat a monster like that.
“You bastard, I’m a noble. Of the God King’s bloodline! So what if I roughed up a few lowly peasants?”
“Hmm, you’ve still got plenty of fight in you, so even with the damage, you’ll probably live energetically. Good, keep that attitude. Stay positive. You’ll need it especially.”
“Gaaah!”
In the end, Young Lord Kozel lost his last remaining eyeball.
*********
Herald Azadin killed no one. He merely inflicted permanent damage.
After castrating them, ruining their eyes, or severing limbs to ensure they could never wield power over the common folk again, he sheathed his sword.
“No petitioner came forward, but this should show sufficient intent. The Emperor’s law has been upheld.”
The Emperor’s law—that even those who inherited the God King’s blood must die if they committed crimes. Declaring this, Azadin turned away.
Behind him came the sound of a sword being drawn with a shing. It was Sir Zibek.
“No matter how much…”
“Hm?”
“No matter how right your actions were, I am a knight of the King’s Church. I cannot overlook you. Especially not in the name of the Emperor’s law.”
“Ah, seriously.”
Azadin gave a wry smile at the stubborn Sir Zibek.
“You’re a real stickler for the rules, unlike the knights of the King’s Church these days.”
“You dare insult me?”
“No, it’s a compliment. The other King’s Church knights? Let’s just say they seemed like a bunch of good-for-nothings forced into the order just to tidy up the line of succession.”
“…….”
Sir Zibek was one of them. Second sons with no land or titles to inherit, or bastards. Lineages too meager to proudly claim descent from the God King.
That was why Azadin’s remark made him feel ashamed. Especially because this Herald before him was more knightly than anyone Zibek had ever known, filling him with shame.
“But can you chase me in that armor?”
“What?!”
“I’m off. If fate brings us together again, see you then, Sir Zibek!”
Leaving those words, Azadin turned and fled. He was so fast that he vanished into the night’s darkness in moments.
“Ugh?!”
Sir Zibek tried to pursue, but the blinded, castrated soldiers and Young Lord Kozel’s body blocked his path.
Unless he trampled them, he couldn’t chase Azadin and had to stop.
“They got what was coming to them, refreshingly so.”
Sir Zibek unwittingly smiled.
*********
Border Count of Salasma, Count Kazel, was the lord of Salasma city and its surrounding villages. For a month now, no rain had fallen near Salasma, drawing crowds petitioning him for relief.
“My lord, please waive taxes this year.”
“We beg you. The people are fleeing to become wanderers, and the streets are filled with the drought-dead rising as undead, wandering about.”
“Thieves and monsters overrun the land; we can’t possibly pay taxes.”
The village heads from each hamlet had come in person, braving the long journey, pleading for tax exemptions.
But Count Kazel merely stared at them with eyes like polished steel, indifferent.
“Waive taxes? Shameless lot. Next you’ll be asking for handouts of food.”
Count Kazel had meant it as sarcasm, but the village heads latched onto his words regardless.
“…We’d be grateful if you did.”
“It’s presumptuous, but the situation is that dire.”
“Ha, fine. You fools leave me no choice. What can I do about the impudence of the lowly masses? It’s in your base blood.”
Count Kazel smirked at them. They knew his cruel temperament yet dared ask for food relief anyway. That was how desperate the people were.
“If you want relief, I could provide it.”
“R-Really, my lord?”
“But fail to do as I ask, and you’ll all hang for tax evasion.”
“…….”
“Rest easy. What I want from you is just a single piece of paper.”
“P-Paper, my lord?”
“Yes, a grimoire like this.”
So saying, Count Kazel opened his hand. It had been empty moments before, but now a sheet of paper appeared, swirling on its own as if summoning a breeze.
The gathered petitioners stared in bewilderment at the paper swaying like aquatic plants in a current.
“A g-grimoire…”
“We’re ignorant of magic; we don’t know such things.”
“No, you can find it. If you truly desire it, you will. Bring me one like this, and that village gets three years’ tax exemption, plus fifty bushels each of wheat, barley, and oats.”
“…….”
Three years’ exemption was generous enough, but grain too? They were stunned. For the usually vicious Count Kazel to show such mercy was unheard of.
That meant the grimoire was crucially important. But how were they supposed to find one?
“P-Pardon, but what is this grimoire called?”
“Hmph? Think ignorant peasants like you could recognize it just by seeing it?”
“Not that, but we need to know what it is to search and identify it.”
“A copy of the God King’s True Scriptures.”
“What?!”
Everyone gasped in shock.
*********
The continent of Whibbris has eight Royal Thrones.
These thrones were brought from the homeland of the Yaegas gods. A rightful king seated upon one repels monsters with the King’s Radiance, purifies the world with the power of pure white mana, and grants sacred white mana to those loyal to the king.
Moreover, the king upon the throne has a powerful grimoire imprinted upon their mind—the God King’s True Scriptures, the kings’ grimoire.
And copies of it existed, with Count Kazel coveting them?
“When the people are in torment, longing for the God King’s True Scriptures, even a copy would respond to their call and reveal itself.”
“…….”
The village heads felt chills at Count Kazel’s words as he gazed toward distant mountains.
Count Kazel didn’t care if the people suffered. He was merely exploiting their agony to obtain that grimoire, the copy of the God King’s True Scriptures.
“U-Understood. We’ll return to our villages at once and search with the people for a copy of the God King’s True Scriptures.”
“Yes, we as well…”
“W-We shall do so.”
The drought-stricken village heads, either awed by the count’s madness or truly hoping to find the scriptures for tax relief, bowed and departed.
Once they were gone, from behind the curtains in the count’s chambers slithered a massive serpent. It reared up, transforming into a young, beautiful woman with bronze skin.
“Mentioning the God King’s True Scriptures by name seems reckless, my lord.”
“Nonsense. Aren’t your kind already rummaging everywhere for grimoires? The rumor will spread across the continent soon enough. I just want to secure one more sheet before that. So, what is it, witch?”
“I regret to inform you… one of your sons has been attacked. Sir Kozel in the eastern interior…”
“Kozel?”
“Yes.”
“Kozel’s forces shouldn’t go down easily. Sir Zibek was with him too. Who was it? Bandits? Monsters?”
“A Herald.”
“A Herald?”
Count Kazel frowned.
“Well, they thirst for the God King’s True Scriptures too. They’d need it to lift the curse of servitude.”
“They’re the ones who let copies of the God King’s True Scriptures spread into the world in the first place. From their perspective, they’re just trying to reclaim their own.”
“Is Kozel dead?”
“Well… his eyes were damaged, and his reproductive ability destroyed.”
“Castrated?”
Count Kazel clicked his tongue.
“What will you do?”
“Station troops near Kozel’s lands. Capture the Herald. Who knows, they might have a copy of the God King’s True Scriptures.”
“Understood. Shall I contact my general?”
“No, no. I’ll order the others. And…”
Count Kazel grinned lecherously.
“If one son’s been castrated, time to make a new one.”