Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Aldis 4
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In the depths of the Kerim Mountains within the Kingdom of Arangi lay the sacred sanctuary of the Herald tribe. Nestled amid sheer rocky peaks where fierce gales and thick mists made it impossible for ordinary folk to trespass, the Heralds trained before scattering across the world. They served the emperor in accordance with their contracts of duty, living for the day their tribe would be freed.
Yet every two years, during the summer solstice festival, the Heralds returned from every corner of the globe. They reported on their missions, handled rites for the fallen and wounded, rewarded the deserving, disciplined the errant, and reassigned personnel.
Long before that festival arrived in the Kerim Mountains, a single Herald scaled the cliffs, humming a cheerful tune. It was the silver-haired girl, Aldis.
"Ahh, I might've brought too many gifts this time. Wonder if the kids'll like 'em."
Aldis stood before the sanctuary, thrilled at being so close to home. The path, shrouded in frequent mists and gales, eluded ordinary eyes. But guided by the Emperor's Voice, she navigated the labyrinth and entered the sanctuary proper.
-Shwoooosh...
Before her stretched a waterfall cascading down the mountainside into a gorge below.
"Hmm, came in from the southeast this time, huh. Ah, it's always such a stunning view here. If only there weren't so damn many mosquitoes."
Aldis addressed the Emperor's Voice.
[Thou art thick with the blood of the Yaegas divine clan. Do not squander thy precious blood on mosquitoes. If there be profit in slaying, then slaying mosquitoes is the righteous path.]
The Emperor's Voice urged her to exterminate the pests.
"Well, if you say so."
Aldis lightly incanted toward the mosquitoes swarming her.
-Firebird Windmoon, Swallow Swarm!
Countless bolts of force intercepted the incoming mosquitoes. The remaining shots burrowed into the underbrush, slaying every bug they found until the magic's power finally ebbed.
Satisfied with the display, Aldis gathered her Kerim mountain goats and pressed on. That was when—
-Splash...
Something dropped into the gorge's waters.
"Hm? What was that?"
[A child.]
The Emperor's Voice answered her puzzled query.
"Eek?!"
Aldis raced to the gorge in alarm. The current here was ferocious, the water bone-chilling—even grown adults struggled to swim it. And now a child had fallen in.
"Hya!"
Aldis flung off her Moon-Horn Bow and sundry valuables like so much trash and dove into the torrent.
*********
When Azadin regained consciousness, a pair of beautiful purple eyes gazed down at him. Aldis was in tears.
"Azadin! Are you okay?"
"Uh... Aldis?"
"What were you thinking?! Why'd you come all the way out to the sanctuary's edge... you idiot!"
"......"
Azadin realized they were both naked and tried to turn his head away in embarrassment. But Aldis pulled him into a tight embrace. After the gorge's icy waters, her warm body felt like heaven.
"......"
Seeing Aldis cry for his sake wrenched his heart. In truth, he'd lost the will to live—the pain and hardship had driven him to suicide. But he couldn't bring himself to say it.
"Ah, what brings you here, Aldis? The solstice is still a whole month away."
"Figured I'd come early, just in case some rascal drowned while I was gone. Brought a ton of gifts, too."
"......"
"Training been tough?"
"Oh, n-no. Training's nothing now. Got cut from it anyway."
"Cut?"
"Yeah. They said I could never be a Herald..."
"Hmm, well, no big deal. World's full of jobs besides Herald. Honestly, aiming to be one is the weird part. Constantly roughing it outdoors and all. Y'know, when I was little, I wanted to work at a candy factory so bad 'cause I loved sweets that much."
"Hahaha. Really?"
"Yep."
Aldis glanced at the campfire as she spoke.
"Firewood's low. I'll grab some kindling."
Still naked, she rose and gathered tinder from nearby. Azadin sat blankly in the blanket she'd prepared. Aldis rekindled the fire, hugged him close, and wrapped the blanket around them both.
"N-not heading to the village?"
"Thought I'd stay here tonight, stargaze with you."
"Stargaze? You mean those lights twinkling in the night sky?"
"Yeah. Oh, brought that fairy constellation book this time."
"Constellations?"
"It's the myths of the fairies who lived here before the Yaegas divine clan arrived. Connect the brightest stars into shapes and weave in their legends. Hehe. Been studying fairy tongues lately. Want me to read some?"
Aldis cracked open the candy she'd bought as a gift, shared it with Azadin, and as the early summer sun set, they counted stars and heard tales of fairy lore.
Until that night, Azadin had known nothing of beauty. The night sky was just a vast void, its twinkling stars too trivial to warrant notice.
But after counting stars with Aldis that day, Azadin learned what beauty was—and the stars became an aching longing.
*********
Having fallen behind in basic training, Azadin entered vocational training. Heralds who failed to qualify became attendants, or else merchants or laborers for trading companies.
With the sanctuary's manpower focused on basic training, dropouts like Azadin had free time. And with Aldis there, he visited her every day.
Aldis, too, lavished time on the boy who'd surely suffered in her absence.
"This book's so good. H-here to return it."
Azadin handed back the primer on the Knights of Salvation.
"No, Azadin—keep it."
"Really? I-it's okay?"
"So, what part hooked you?"
"The three virtues. Salvation Knights who uphold courage, wisdom, and mercy receive power from the Three Great Archangels to wield white magic. White magic—that's the stuff the Yaegas god-kings used, right?"
"Oh, yeah. Hmm. Hehe."
"Wish I could use magic, too."
Azadin's young heart was captivated by the Knights of Salvation's claim: anyone, regardless of bloodline, could wield white magic by upholding the virtues.
Magicless reject. Failure. Half-breed. Freak. Monster of shame.
Among the persecuted Herald tribe, it was inevitable this scorned boy would be drawn to their creed.
But Aldis, who'd traveled afar as a Herald, had never seen Salvation Knights wield white magic powered by those virtues. At least, not truly.
Those who did wield it in their ranks were like the Church of the King: Yaegas divine scions, noble-born but passed over for inheritance, forced into holy orders.
'Hmm, the Knights of Salvation, huh. Looked like pure con artists to me. Well, some good folks were there, but their priests were all kinda... off.'
The Knights of Salvation boasted of shielding humanity from the Nether, the abyss at the world's depths. By their creed, beneath the Hybris Continent lay an even vaster pit called the Nether, teeming with unspeakable horrors.
Compared to the Nether's potent black magic, the Kurt divine clan amounted to nothing—and even the Yaegas divine clan, saviors against the Kurts, were insignificant.
Such claims once branded them heretics, sparking religious wars. But as the Church of the King devolved into depravity, the Knights rose in esteem—now accepted, no longer outcasts.
'White magic, huh. Upper knights used it, but those were all noble brats.'
In the end, only those with Yaegas divine blood wielded white magic. Or so they said of the order's heartland, the Inner Sea Peninsula—plenty more there could use it...
Aldis had never verified it herself.
'Sure, the Church of the King turned into a bastard factory and went off the rails, but their holy knights still outclassed the Salvation Knights in manpower.'
No need for such talk now, though. Seeing Azadin brighten from his gloom, Aldis just wanted to encourage him.
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"Want to become a Salvation Knight?"
"S-salvation Knight? Y-yeah. But I'm Aragas... Would they even like me?"
"Hm?"
"I heard everyone hates Aragas. 'Cause we killed their precious god-kings. The other kids love it, though. Makes 'em strong enough to have slain god-kings, so they're scary, right? They strut around bragging. But what does that make me? I'm Aragas too, but weak and powerless... Still, folks'll hate me just for that. Or... before even that."
Azadin touched his face. Where eyes should be, only flesh filled the sockets.
"It's a problem even before Aragas. This face! They say it's disgusting and cover theirs. Last time, kids shoved a sack over my head—I nearly suffocated."
"Who did that? Which ones!"
Subtle fury laced Aldis's voice.
"Oh, uh, it's nothing."
Azadin knew from experience: dragging adults into kids' fights didn't solve things—it made them worse.
Aldis was of the Jedaha tribe, a Herald, and a scholar of the Academy researching magic. Her voice carried authority, but her duties left no time for him. Her protection meant little when she was away.
He was glad she was here now, but knowing she'd leave again plunged him back into gloom.
"Salvation Knights would hate me too, right?"
"Azadin."
Aldis hugged him tightly. A faint lavender scent wafted into his nose.
"You read the book, so you know: their creed is anyone with courage, wisdom, and mercy can become a Salvation Knight."
"Yeah."
"You just need those virtues. You can be anything."
"Even born Aragas, unfit to be Herald or even attendant?"
"Only a rare few Aragas become Heralds anyway. Most can't even be attendants—that's normal. What matters isn't how others see you. It's being true to yourself."
"Th-that's..."
Azadin's face crumpled.
"That's the problem. I hate myself right now."
"Then, Azadin—do you hate me?"
"N-no way!"
Horrified as if she'd blasphemed, Azadin waved his hands frantically.