Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Brass Knight 6
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“The only thing protecting you, naga woman, is this man’s knightly honor. I’m sparing you right now out of respect for that. Don’t mock my true intentions. Or what? Are you insulting the Emperor’s Herald? Are you calling the Emperor’s Herald’s vow to protect the people false and hollow?”
“…….”
A terrifying killing intent emanated from Azadin. Whether in terms of justification or sheer intimidation, Shati had nothing to say.
At that moment, the old man of brass stepped in front of Shati, confronting the murderous aura Azadin was exuding.
“Don’t threaten her too much.”
“Understood. For now, until we escape this predicament, I won’t ask questions or make demands—I’ll cooperate fully.”
Azadin retrieved a weapon from his mountain goat and set it down on the ground.
“Those who can arm themselves, take these. With the load lighter now, anyone who’s having trouble walking, climb aboard.”
They eyed the sudden arrival of Azadin with suspicion, but in their dire straits, no one could refuse what he offered.
“What do you think?”
“I see. In a world where knightly honor is a laughingstock, it’s impressive to find a young man like you still upholding it. I’ll allow you to travel with us.”
“Thank you.”
“But the issue with that woman—let’s settle it after we reach safety, at least.”
The old man said this as he extended a hand to Azadin.
“I am Sir Brand of Rantaric. And you?”
“I am the Emperor’s Herald, 108th Herald Azadin. Sir Brand of Rantaric? Are you a knight?”
“…….”
When Azadin asked if he was a knight, Sir Brand’s expression darkened. It was as if the man had transformed in an instant.
“Then let’s go.”
He turned away without answering.
“……?”
Azadin felt a spark of curiosity at Sir Brand’s sudden icy demeanor.
Just then, a woman approached. She was the leader of the escaped slaves, the one who had taken the replica of the New King’s Scripture from Shati for safekeeping.
“Please, help Sir Brand. With that in mind, allow me to speak boldly.”
“With that in mind?”
“Yes. About how he—Mr. Brand—came to be Sir Brand. May I tell you as we walk?”
“Of course.”
Azadin permitted her to walk beside him. For Shati, it was a nerve-wracking situation.
‘That woman has my New King’s Scripture….’
With the Herald’s kin right there, she couldn’t snatch it back and flee mid-journey. In the end, she had no choice but to stick with this bizarre band of refugees.
*********
Azadin took the lead, Sir Brand guarded the rear, and the women walked in between as the group set off down the path.
“So, who are you?”
“My name is Delmer. I was originally in the employ of Count Rantaric.”
“In the employ?”
“Yes. That bandit gang? Count Rantaric planted them deliberately to weaken Marquis Salasma’s forces. Our mission was to connect nearby bandit groups with slave traders, supplying them with weapons in exchange to bolster their strength even further.”
“But why?”
“Donear privatized the organization and purged us. I wasn’t killed only because I’m a woman….”
“Then what about Sir Brand there?”
“He was a renowned scribe, lawyer, and teacher in Rantaric.”
Originally, Sir Brand—no, just Brand—had been a famous scribe and lawyer in Kozma City, on the border between Salasma and Rantaric. When he and his cultured, scholarly family were unfortunately captured by bandits, Bandit King Donear figured it would be more profitable to ransom them to their relatives than sell them as slaves.
But Brand’s relatives refused to pay. Enraged, Donear and his gang killed Brand’s son-in-law and grandchildren, then tried to force his daughter and granddaughter to eat them.
Brand’s daughter naturally refused to eat her husband, and his granddaughter refused her brothers. Furious, the bandits moved to kill them. That was when Brand stepped forward.
In exchange for sparing his daughter and granddaughter, he ate the flesh himself. Amid the jeers and mockery of the bandits, he endured the agony in silence. In the end, he lost his mind. After such a horrific ordeal, he couldn’t remain sane.
Thus, the lawyer, scribe, and scholar became Sir Brand, a self-proclaimed knight from old tales. Donear found it amusing and kept him alive as his personal fool.
“They killed his family and made him eat them? On purpose?”
Azadin was stunned by the bandits’ atrocity. Cannibalism out of starvation wasn’t unheard of. In brutal sieges where supplies ran out, or during famines that starved everyone, humanity took a backseat.
But killing a family to torment someone and force-feeding the flesh? He couldn’t help but question Bandit King Donear’s humanity.
‘I should’ve tormented him more.’
Azadin frowned, recalling how he’d turned Donear into a human pincushion. The wounds would heal with time. Of course, the deeply embedded arrows would continue to pain him, and without proper care, infection would kill him. But for a monster who’d done such things, it was far too merciful.
“Donear didn’t just cook human flesh to torment people—he taught the bandits how to drug food, too. They spread out to inns and such, spiking meals to kidnap folks. Unnecessary captives? They butcher them into meat.”
“…….”
“I was one of them, so it feels like spitting while lying down to call out their cruelty like this. Anyway, after that, Brand really did help us like a knight from the stories. Probably because no sane person could endure it.”
“So right now, he’s….”
“Yes. His mind wanders. Please, be careful with your words around him. If he snaps back to reality, it’ll open the floodgates to hardship on this already treacherous road.”
“Hm, I see. But aren’t there bad rumors about us Emperor’s Heralds? And you’re telling me this anyway?”
“I was hoping to borrow the naga’s hand, too. If it helps, we grab anything we can.”
Delmer’s eyes gleamed as she said this.
“Besides, no matter what, I want revenge on Donear. Though avenging Donear comes after these people escape safely.”
Ismail, who’d been listening, yawned.
“Pursuers might show up any minute, and you’re chatting idly? Let’s move.”
“…….”
Delmer looked hurt by Ismail’s cold attitude. To her, this had been a sacred confession confronting soul-deep wounds—but to him, it was just tiresome begging.
“…….”
Azadin took Delmer’s hand and silently stared at Ismail.
*********
Night fell as they trudged through the forest path. Even soldiers accustomed to marching avoided moving at night off-road. Delmer and Sir Brand let the escaped slaves rest, taking a break themselves.
Azadin had been about to speak up when Ismail beat him to it.
“They’re out cold—might as well carry them. Let’s snag the New King’s Scripture.”
“No. If I wanted to take it, these people aren’t my match. I’d have done it already. More importantly, Ismail, you’re overstepping as an attendant.”
Ismail clicked his tongue at Azadin’s words.
“If that’s how you want it, I’ll follow as your attendant. But can I at least ask?”
“Go ahead.”
“Why help these people? For nothing in return?”
“The Emperor’s Heralds are the Emperor’s envoys, sent to rescue the people from suffering. The Emperor’s gold is just a system to formalize it—but ultimately, this is our true role.”
“Sure. If the Emperor hadn’t died and we kept wielding that immense power as his envoys. Why take responsibility for people we neither rule nor govern? Why shoulder duties without the reward of power?”
Ismail asked in earnest. Azadin chuckled.
“Well… I get it.”
“Thank you for understanding. Then, the New King’s Scripture—”
“No. I meant I understand why you’re like this. Looks like the Herald selection process was too grueling for you.”
“Pardon?”
“To prove yourself worthy of the Herald clan, you had to outdo your peers—couldn’t win fairly, so you skipped cultivating character and poured everything into honing skills. With so many villains out there torturing and cannibalizing people, destroying human souls, and your reaction is this?”
“…….”
Ismail flushed with shame at Azadin’s words. If he’d just called him heartless, Ismail would’ve laughed it off. But Azadin was subtly mocking him.
‘You lacked talent, so you sold your humanity to carve out a place in the clan.’
‘No ability, so you hawked your character to end up like this?’
That was Azadin’s unspoken rebuke.
“I don’t have your fancy background. No elders fawning over me, no Lady Aldis as a patron.”
“Ismail!”
Midiam, who’d been listening, cut him off. For the strictly hierarchical Aragasans, an attendant like Ismail mouthing off to a Herald like Azadin was unacceptable.
“Forgive us, Azadin. Ismail and I are young and new to this sort of thing.”
Midiam apologized on Ismail’s behalf, but Azadin shook his head.
“No need to apologize. I don’t want puppets following orders—I want to know your real thoughts and selves. If you can’t speak freely, talking to you is pointless. It just pains me a bit and worries me for the clan’s future. Acting like little bastards at an age when you should be sensitive, without a shred of shame.”
“…….”
“Speak your mind freely, even if it earns you a dog’s treatment for dog-like words.”
“You’re not exactly mature yourself. Fine. Then I’ll cast Foresight Bird.”
Ismail invoked the Foresight Bird spell, sending an artificial spirit skyward. But…
“Huh?”
He spotted something like black mist spreading behind the forest.
“What….”
Ismail canceled the spell and peered into the woods with his naked eyes. The sky was dark, but stars were visible. No way black smoke could rise unnoticed.
“Something’s coming from behind!”
“…Is that so?”
Azadin grabbed his mountain goat and mounted.
“No helping it. I’ll scout the rear briefly.”
“You need rest, too.”
“I’ll just take a quick look. You all guard the people here.”
Azadin turned back down the path toward the rear.