Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Arael Tribe 3
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"Midiam!"
Ismail grabbed the flagpole and leaped over the ramparts to catch Midiam as she plummeted.
"Argh!?"
"Urk!"
The moment Ismail and Midiam clasped hands, pain shot through both of them. Kahsan had thrown her with such force that it felt like their arms would rip off.
"Urgh! N-No!"
His arm hurt too much to hold onto Midiam's body. Ismail knew Kahsan was waiting, but he had no choice except to pull back up onto the ramparts. Kahsan, who had been waiting for them, casually wrapped his forearms around Midiam and Ismail's necks and slammed them down.
"Gahk!"
"Eek!"
Ismail and Midiam collapsed to the ground.
"Heh heh, impressive. Aren't you a bit too skilled for servants of Azadin? Must be Etar blood. If you'd reached adulthood, you might've beaten me. But you're too young right now."
Kahsan shrugged after subduing Ismail and Midiam.
"You're too good to waste on a half-breed like Azadin. How about becoming my servants instead?"
Just then, a snicker came from behind Kahsan.
"What are you talking about, ambushing heralds and then spouting that nonsense?"
"Hm?"
Kahsan was startled to spot another herald who had somehow climbed onto the fortress: Azadin.
"Azadin!"
"Sorry. I was watching."
"......!"
If Azadin was telling the truth, that meant he'd calmly observed the duel between Kahsan, Midiam, and Ismail.
Yet Kahsan hadn't noticed Azadin's approach at all... What if it had been an assassination attempt?
*It's just a bluff, though.*
It was true that Azadin had watched, but he'd only seen it while climbing up to the fortress—not because he'd been silently spectating to gauge Kahsan's skills. He couldn't very well stand by while Midiam and Ismail were thrown off the fortress.
"Haa."
Standing beside such Azadin was a single knight. Not yet a holy knight, he had used his status to pass through the Lantarik army, volunteer as a negotiator, and enter the fortress.
"Azadin, it's been ages. Last I saw you, you were just a little brat. You've grown."
"Pardon me, but who might you be?"
"I'm Kahsan. Two rider classes ahead of you! Don't tell me you don't know? Kahsan the bow-breaker!"
"The one who got beat by Arael and bawled his eyes out?"
"You little shit, mocking me!?"
Kahsan fumed at Azadin but quickly regained his composure.
"More importantly, who's that guy next to you? Looks like a holy knight from the King's Church."
"You've got a lot of bows. Mind lending me one?"
Azadin eyed the four bows Kahsan carried. His own bow was broken, so he needed a replacement—and here were some right in front of him.
"My question comes first. What are you doing, Azadin? I'm two rider classes your senior. You find that funny?"
"It is a little funny, actually. Sneaking up on kids and attacking without mercy."
"You bastard."
"Why join hands with Lantarik? I never heard a thing about it. What terms did you agree on?"
"You answer first. Otherwise, I won't waste another word on you!"
Kahsan wasn't an idiot. As a herald, he had to be proficient not just in martial arts but in tactics and strategy too.
Azadin couldn't keep up the wordplay any longer.
"This man is cooperating with me to expose Sir Zekt's corruption."
"What's the payoff? Gold?"
"No, justice."
"Justice?"
"The true mission of the emperor's heralds: to hear the pleas of the unjust and bring justice to this land."
"Ah... hahaha. You're insane, Azadin. Spouting such embarrassing drivel without a shred of shame."
"The one who should be ashamed is you, not me. I do it proudly as the emperor's herald, but you're just a dog on a leash, forced into it as a last resort. Doesn't it suck living like a hunting hound, only obeying orders?"
"Don't make me laugh! I do it of my own will. You think I could've passed that brutal selection otherwise?"
"Sure, but isn't it all just naked self-interest without any elegance? Even dogs work hard if you toss 'em a bone."
"Grgh. You're a real motormouth."
Kahsan cracked his neck and dusted off his hands with a laugh.
"You know, Lady Arael told me to bring you back alive, but I'm not feeling it. I can't stand seeing a dropout like you holding a position just because you're her brother. I'll kill you right here."
"Ah, so you're with Arael after all."
Azadin rested his hand on his sword hilt upon hearing that. At that moment, Zekt stepped forward to block him.
"You can't fight in your current condition."
Having treated Azadin, Zekt knew he was in no state to battle. He'd stitched the wound with needle and thread, but fighting again could reopen it—and in an age where even a thumbnail-sized cut could lead to fatal infection, that would be the least of his worries. Broken ribs combined with trauma? Inflammation would kill him for sure.
"What? Putting up your holy knight as a shield? Clever. How'd you sweet-talk a holy knight?"
Kahsan stared in disbelief at Zekt, who meant to fight in Azadin's stead.
"When your sense of justice is strong, comrades who share it appear. I wonder if livestock that wags its tail for feed can grasp such things."
"You shit! I too serve Lady Arael's will..."
In that instant, Azadin moved.
Kahsan was surprised by the sudden attack but sneered at Azadin's clumsy, slow, weak movements.
*They call him the disgrace of the herald clan, and it's true! With that level of skill...*
Kahsan didn't even bother drawing his sword, aiming to slap the flat of Azadin's blade with his hand. But the next moment, Azadin dropped his sword and seized Kahsan's wrist.
"...Huh?"
Kahsan panicked at Azadin's suddenly precise movements and immense strength. Above all, the wild mana surging from Azadin at the point of contact pierced through his body.
Azadin walked to Kahsan's side, hoisted the giant man up, and hurled him off the fortress.
"Uwaa!"
Like Ismail before him, Kahsan reached for the flagpole, but Azadin drew a dagger from his belt and flung it at him. The dagger flew with such ferocity it could've pierced an ox's skull.
"Urk!"
Kahsan had no choice but to let go of the flagpole and plummet to the base of the fortress.
"I'll get you for this!"
Kahsan cast the spell of flowers, birds, winds, and moon in midair to slow his fall, then rolled across the ground upon landing to absorb the impact as much as possible. Still, he struggled to get up properly, so he must've taken some injuries.
"Ismail, shoot."
"Yes!"
Ismail loosed an arrow, and Kahsan cursed as he dodged and fled.
"Wow, amazing, Azadin!"
Midiam ran over joyfully, but Azadin was breaking out in cold sweat.
"...Huh?"
"I told you not to overdo it. You broke ribs—using force like that?"
Sir Zekt clicked his tongue at Azadin's recklessness. In Hubris, even a simple fall could lead to a lingering illness and death. With fractures and wounds together, fatal inflammation was all too common.
"Everyone in the herald clan looks down on me, so I can beat them easily once."
"Your entire clan looks down on you? I can't fathom it. Didn't you fight Sir Zekt the Judge on equal footing? Even among heralds, not many could do that."
"I was a bit of a punk as a kid. Most remember me that way, so they all underestimate me. Worked out great—got me a quick bow resupply."
Azadin held two moon-horn bows. He'd grabbed one from Kahsan's thigh while hoisting him.
"But it won't work anymore. So, about that..."
Azadin turned to the fortress commander as he spoke.
"Me?"
The fortress commander panicked at the gaze.
"I need to talk."
Azadin beckoned the commander with a finger and entered the soldiers' barracks. He meant to speak privately, away from others' ears.
*********
"Let's cut to the chase: hand over the fortress and make peace."
"What? If we did that, Count Salasma would skin us alive."
"Count Salasma's already dead. No one's left to punish you."
"But what about whoever becomes Count Salasma later? Won't they punish us?"
"Hmm. You Hubris folk know less than I do. Think about it. Why did Count Lantarik suddenly invade here?"
"Uh, well?"
"Salasma's rightful heir lost his fertility and his inheritance rights. From Lantarik's perspective, he arranged that political marriage with effort, never expecting Salasma's line to vanish so pointlessly. So he's putting on this show of force. Broadly, he wants the inheritance for his daughter; narrowly, he wants to secure the Cora River basin. Even if someone else becomes count, holding the basin gives him an edge in future politics."
Listening Holy Knight Zekt was impressed.
*Incredible. He's sharp on politics too. In this era where even holy knights don't study the Eight Kings' laws, is it because he's the emperor's herald?*
"So if we hand the fortress to Count Lantarik, what happens to us? Whoever becomes Count Salasma later—won't they want us dead?"
"Release the civilians freely, and you soldiers switch to Lantarik's side. That minimizes bloodshed. Lantarik massacring this area is about wiping out nearby villages, resettling with his own people, and forcing even the King's Church to acknowledge it as his land. But if the enfeoffed knights and lower officers who've held fiefs around here surrender to Lantarik, there's no need to slaughter civilians. It gives him a legitimate claim to occupy the land."
"Ch-Change lords, you mean?"
As an enfeoffed knight, the fortress commander bristled at Azadin's words. Switching lords casually stained one's honor for generations.
"Lantarik will treat you well, actually. And you're taking a bit of dishonor to save the people. Isn't that what true heroes do? High nobles might grumble, but the locals will see your choice as noble. Want me to compose a song? 'The Knight Who Bore Shame to Save the People'—sounds like a hit."
"It's your only way to survive. You don't seriously think the dead Count Salasma's coming back to rescue you while you defend this fortress?"
Ismail chimed in.
"Th-That's true... Fighting to the end just means dying of thirst, so surrendering on those terms might actually be honorable."
The fortress commander seemed swayed by Azadin's words.
"Yeah. It's a warrior's duty to spare lives when the gates open willingly before they're breached! We're saved!"
The soldiers seemed relieved too.
*Will it really turn out that way?*
Midiam half-doubted, recalling Count Lantarik's brutal deeds.
*Let it be. They seem happy.*
Suddenly, a horn blast echoed from outside. Then came the voices of several soldiers chanting in unison.
"I am Count Lantarik, Garnahir! Heralds! Respond to negotiations!"
Count Lantarik Garnahir had initiated talks first.