Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Judicator Zekt 3
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Seo Dong Belldon was not a petitioner for the gold coins. Thus, he had no reason to reveal their identities to them.
Above all, since Young Lord Kozel had lost his eyes to the Herald Clan—no, to Azadin himself—his feelings toward them were unlikely to be ordinary. He had to consider the possibility that revealing they were part of the Herald Clan might cause Kozel's emotions to explode.
"If he finds out I'm the one who turned him into a cripple, he'll drag every holy knight and whatever else he has to seek revenge."
Azadin spoke shamelessly, and Belldon let out a sigh. Fortunately, Azadin's bluff seemed to have worked. Even aside from that, conducting a thorough investigation into the group that had slain the count after his monstrous transformation and the mummy soldiers wasn't a wise move.
"Even if they really were the Herald Clan, with Young Lord Kozel's personality, a fight would be inevitable. But battling the ones who killed the count isn't smart."
Belldon, who strongly preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble and proceed smoothly, had no intention of informing his employers even if Azadin was indeed from the Herald Clan. Still, he had to haggle.
"Why did you proceed without agreeing on an advance or the fee in advance?"
"I was infiltrating for reconnaissance and saw the count preparing to slaughter everyone in the area. No matter how we look at it, even if it's not our problem, dragging our feet would lead to massive casualties, and by then we might not be able to do anything. So we had no choice but to act urgently. My comrades worked hard."
The comrades Azadin referred to were, of course, Midiam and Ismail. But to Belldon's ears, it sounded like there were other assassins similar to Azadin. No one would believe Azadin had handled such an immense battle alone.
"So you must have brought the payment when you came to meet me now?"
"O-Of course."
Belldon handed Azadin a leather pouch. Inside was a brooch adorned with gold and opals, along with gold coins.
"This is..."
"We didn't have enough gold coins, so we brought jewelry. It's worth about fifty gold coins."
"It's tricky to dispose of. I don't even know if it's really worth fifty gold coins at market value. Plus, if they trace it back..."
"I'm sorry. This is the best we could do."
In truth, the countess and Kozel had been full of complaints.
"Was it really those assassins who did it?"
"Do we have to pay that money?"
"We never confirmed fifty gold coins—why did they act on their own? Can't we negotiate it down considering that?"
They had tried not to pay or to reduce the amount. Belldon had broken into a cold sweat persuading the countess and Kozel.
"If those guys really are the ones who killed the count... if we don't pay, they'll threaten the countess and Young Lord Kozel. How do you plan to handle that?"
Only after explaining the risks of shorting the assassins' pay did they reluctantly hand over the brooch.
If this man wasn't satisfied with it, he'd have to beg the countess's family, which would be a huge hassle.
"Fine. We'll compromise at this. Everyone around here probably knows this brooch belongs to the countess, so I'll have to sell it in another country."
Azadin took the pouch and asked Belldon several more questions.
"Anything else you need help with? I heard the countess and the church are clashing over the Salasma fief."
"Could you assassinate someone from the church by any chance?"
"Hmm. Who?"
"Judicator Zekt."
"Judicator? As in one of the highest-ranking holy knights? One of only sixteen in the world? And he's here in Salasma?"
"Yes. He's meddling in the Salasma fief, and the King's Church side is scheming to bar inheritance by the count's bloodline and return the fief to the King's Church. Their reasoning is that since the count turned into a naga, his entire bloodline might be tainted."
"Ah."
Azadin clicked his tongue upon hearing the story.
"They won't reveal that to the public, surely."
From the church's perspective, stripping the count—a legitimate noble—of his inheritance rights on the grounds that he had fallen into a monster was not an appealing option.
It would mean admitting that the bloodlines of nobles, the blood of the Yaegas deities, were imperfect, which was tantamount to abandoning the foundations of the King's Church.
"Killing the Judicator won't necessarily improve the situation, so I'll pass on that commission."
"Understood. Ah, yes."
"Take care, then."
Azadin handed Belldon a signet ring and slipped out of the alley.
*********
Azadin bid farewell to Baroness Nort and exited the mansion.
"Where to now?"
"Let's track the nagas. Where did their trail cut off?"
"It leads southwest, but..."
"Southwest, huh. Let's follow it for now."
As they descended from the highlands and checked the state of Salasma's outer walls, refugees were still pouring in relentlessly.
With rivers drying up in places around the city and filth piling up from the influx of refugees going uncleaned, the desolation was accelerating. And now without a leader, the future for those gathered in the city looked far from smooth.
He was lost in such thoughts when he walked on.
Around the farm district outside Salasma's walls, something charging from behind caught his eye. Mounted holy knights and officers. Leading them was something in armor running on all fours like a beast.
"...Huh?"
A person was running on all fours like an animal. Its eyes gleamed with ferocity. With Azadin's eyesight, he could see black aura emanating from it. It was a product of black magic.
"What is that?"
Azadin focused his vision to examine those pursuing from the rear. They were holy knights of the King's Church.
'An undead escaped, and they're chasing it? But...'
When a rightful king sits upon the throne, the King's Radiance protects the land.
The throne brought by the Yaegas deities, the Throne of the Eight Kings, is itself a grimoire of the Divine Kings' Scripture and a powerful magical artifact.
And the King's Radiance truly exists. In cities and villages, wherever King's Church faithful reside, it actively suppresses undead and monsters, protecting humanity.
'For undead to move in broad daylight in a major city would require exceptional magical effort.'
Of course, Count Kazel had made it possible, but even he needed vast sums of money, manpower, and naga assistance to create such undead.
But that one...
"It looks like they're coming for us."
"What do we do?"
Midiam and Ismail asked.
"What else? We run. No reason to fight that thing."
Azadin wasn't riding the kerim goat but holding its reins. Midiam and Ismail were mounted on kerim goats. Suddenly mounting now would look suspicious to bystanders, so Azadin quickened his pace and signaled for Midiam and Ismail to go ahead.
A fork in the road appeared just in time, and Azadin's group entered it... but the undead veered off the path, charging straight toward them. And moreover...
-Muddle!
Magical attacks flew from the holy knights, not targeting the undead but clearly aimed at Azadin's group. Colorless basic magic that produced no light or sound—precisely why it was dangerous.
The spell dazed the mind in an instant; against running horses or beasts, the effect was tremendous. Azadin, Midiam, and Ismail were fine, but the kerim goats they rode were momentarily addled by the magic.
"Ah!"
"Damn it!"
Midiam and Ismail now knew for sure the enemy was targeting them. Holy knights, who valued honor, launching a preemptive magical strike. Perhaps their Herald Clan identity had been exposed.
In this situation, Azadin ordered Midiam and Ismail.
"Go on ahead!"
"Pardon?"
"I'll hold them off."
"But last time you said that and ended up needing our help."
"Your condition isn't good either!"
Despite their protests, Azadin turned to face the oncoming undead.
But...
"Grrrrowl!"
The beast-like snarler charging at him was, surprisingly, someone Azadin recognized.
'That's the guy? What was his name? The one who loosed arrows at civilians, trying to wipe out those farmhouses!'
Sir Gazrek had become undead and was charging at Azadin.
"Perfect! Sweater!"
Azadin grabbed the kerim goat's reins and drew his sword from the saddlebag. Calmly observing the undead Sir Gazrek's attack, Azadin parried it with his blade and shouted.
"Now!"
At that moment, Azadin's kerim goat, Sweater, delivered a rear kick that sent Sir Gazrek's corpse flying with a bang. The sheer power launched Gazrek's body through the air.
"Uh..."
The pursuing holy knights faltered. They had thought he was drawing a weapon from the saddlebag, only for the goat to lash out with its hind legs. They were completely caught off guard.
'Good thing it was the undead Gazrek who took the hit—if it had been me?'
Even in armor, would he have been unscathed? The thought sent chills down his spine.
While the holy knights were stunned by the sudden event, Azadin pursued Sir Gazrek to finish him off. With one foot in the stirrup, he ran alongside like someone clinging to a speeding carriage.
"Grrrrowl."
The undead Sir Gazrek rose. A human would have suffered internal bleeding or fractures from a kerim goat's kick and gone flying, but Gazrek got up with little damage.
But Azadin, charging alongside the kerim goat, thrust his sword at Gazrek's crown. It happened before he could fully rise and regain balance.
Normally, it would have struck true. But at that instant, black mana surged violently from Gazrek, making him recoil backward like a retreating beast.
"......"
Azadin frowned at the one wielding that mana. A holy knight in golden armor approached. His face was hidden by a helmet, but his voice was young.
"Well, well. Impressive skill. Hard to believe you're just an ordinary pilgrim."
"Holy knight, there's an undead wandering in broad daylight—aren't you going to do something?"
"That's Sir Gazrek. Tragically slain by the Herald Clan, he's become a wraith knight single-mindedly pursuing vengeance against them. Do you know what defines these wraiths?"
"......"
"They have the ability to detect and track enemies within a certain range. In other words, you're the one who killed Sir Gazrek."
The golden-armored holy knight accused Azadin of murdering Sir Gazrek.