Chapter 208. Even If I Lose the Light (3)
At Azadin’s question, Seraph and Aleph answered as if they had been waiting for it. The speed of their reply showed just how desperately they had wanted that question to come out.
“The elder council and the chief Hatir are trying to bring this world to ruin. It’s the typical behavior of devils who have lived too long and fallen into despair.”
“On the other hand, Lord Arael seeks to rule the world without destroying it. If one is going to rule the world, then wouldn’t it be better to have it whole and safe, with more slaves to command, gaining even greater power?”
“Ah, stop. That’s enough.”
Hearing their words, Azadin regretted asking in the first place.
‘I should have left them eager to speak instead of asking. I shouldn’t have asked. That wasn’t even much of an answer.’
Now that he had heard it, his curiosity vanished, and his interest with it.
“So, chief Hatir and the elder council’s stance is that it doesn’t matter if the world is wrecked, since the number of Aragasa to consume it is small anyway, and Arael is saying to consume the world whole. Hah, how is that the level of their thinking, really.”
“You misunderstand.”
Arael stepped forward to correct Azadin’s words.
“Hatir and I are united in the desire to make the Aragasa untouchable by anyone. But Hatir feared that since the population of Aragasa was small, in the end they would be absorbed and vanish among the Hubris people. He thought the only way to protect Aragasa was to oppress the Hubris, to reduce their numbers, and that’s why he did such madness. I, on the other hand, would accept it even if the Aragasa eventually disappear. What matters is that we live peacefully in the present. If it is through assimilation and peaceful fading away, I will not reject it. That is why I have no thought of killing the Hubris people meaninglessly.”
“To use them as slaves, you’d have no reason to kill them meaninglessly.”
“Slavery is not that effective. It’s better for motivation and human resource management to squeeze them while giving them just enough pay to survive if they work hard.”
“……”
“Azadin. I know you don’t trust me, but at least, unlike Hatir, I have no intention of destroying the world. I decline the Age of Jupiter. You know that well, don’t you? You may want to doubt me because of the suffering I once inflicted on you, but if you lay your hand on your heart and think carefully, you’ll see, there is no alternative beyond what I propose. In truth, before I made my proposal to you, weren’t you planning to just gather the copies of the Book of the Divine King and jam them into the throne? Isn’t that so?”
“That’s right.”
Azadin raised both hands. Since one had flown away, perhaps it should be said he raised both arms.
“Let’s do it. I’ll do it. We will.”
Thus, the alliance between Azadin and Arael was formed.
***
Though the Arael faction had collapsed, Arael remained powerful, and his subordinates’ loyalty was unchanged.
Above all, with considerable numbers, their supplies were abundant.
“Now then, let’s attach this arm, captain.”
Scott brought a hand, embalmed and covered in resin. Where he had obtained it was unknown, but its condition was excellent.
He fitted it into the gauntlet, fastened it to Azadin’s elbow, and set a spell upon it, so that the hand moved according to Azadin’s will.
“Amazing. Not only does it move, but the phantom limb pain has lessened. But, is this necromancy?”
“No. This is a magical device powered by colorless mana.”
“Hm?”
“In your case, captain, you infused your body with the white mana of the Book of the Divine King, didn’t you? Because of that, if you moved it with necromancy, it might clash with black mana.”
“Remarkable.”
Azadin marveled at Scott’s meticulousness.
As a necromancer, he surely would have wanted to use necromancy, yet he had considered Azadin’s specific circumstances and made this solely for his sake.
“Seems you’re quite skilled in general magic too?”
“Well, there’s that, but moving it with colorless mana also helps ease the phantom limb pain. Though you might feel itching or heat sensations, but that…”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Shati cast a spell on Azadin. His small wounds regenerated, and the phantom pain subsided.
Azadin accepted their help with gratitude.
“Thank you.”
“By the way, captain. I was thinking, couldn’t I stop here?”
“……”
“If I go any further in, I think I’ll die. I like you, captain, but in the end, I’m just a mercenary.”
“I must ask the same.”
Shati too made her request to Azadin.
“I understand. You’ve both done much.”
Azadin permitted Scott and Shati to leave, then rummaged through his saddlebags and took out gold coins.
Because their devotion had been great, he handed over all the gold coins he had.
“This is your reward for your loyalty. I’m sorry I cannot give more.”
“Well, this is already very generous. Truly a captain.”
“Then, may fortune be with you, Azadin.”
Receiving the gold coins, Shati let out a sigh.
“It would be good if we could meet again alive.”
That she would ever say such words to Azadin—unexpected.
Shati sincerely wished for Azadin’s victory, for his safety. And so, she decided to use the most powerful magic she knew.
“Azadin. Your forehead.”
“……”
Azadin silently lowered his forehead, and Shati placed a spell upon it.
“What spell is this?”
A spell of green mana, unfamiliar, was laid upon him, so Azadin asked.
“A blessing spell. A small charm so that we may meet again alive.”
Leaving those words behind, Shati stepped away.
“So, Shati, where will you go?”
Scott asked her.
“I don’t know. Perhaps back to the Nagas.”
“Didn’t the naga raja say he would pardon you, since you were close to the captain?”
“That was probably because he thought I was fated to die alongside Azadin and showed me favor. The Nagas knew things would turn out this way. But whether they’ll forgive me if I return alive, I don’t know.”
“Hm, so those naga rajas don’t even blush to speak with forked tongues? Then why not be a Cell Sword with me? It’s a bit risky, but we could take a ship south to the southern archipelago, or follow the coast up to Tarasar. I heard they’re recruiting mercenaries heavily in Tarasar right now.”
“Alright.”
Planning their future, Shati and Scott departed.
***
“You let them go? One a Naga, and the other an orc necromancer?”
Arael asked Azadin.
“They are not ones who will betray me.”
“Hm. You trust them quite a lot.”
“Of course I do. In chief Hatir’s eyes, I saw nothing but endless emptiness and resignation. To deal with such a man is idiocy itself. Scott may jest, but he is not a fool.”
“Well, if you say so, then so be it. How’s the hand?”
Whoosh.
At that moment, an arrow sliced through Arael’s hair.
Azadin had swiftly loosed the shot. Shooting an arrow at someone’s head was a most discourteous act, but Arael did not even blink. She merely turned her head, following the flight of the arrow with her eyes.
“Hmph….”
The arrow struck a bird flying in the distance behind her.
It was no ordinary bird, but a corpse used for observation magic; the moment it was hit, it spewed black smoke and plummeted down.
Though the shot was accurate, Azadin’s expression was grim.
“As I thought, it’s not perfect. I aimed for the eye, but hit the wing.”
For most people, such skill would be worthy of praise, but for Azadin, it was unsatisfactory.
“If it were the head or the neck, that would be one thing, but the wing? That’s serious.”
Arael agreed with Azadin’s assessment.
Though Scott had crafted the hand, naturally it could not be said to be superior to his original body.
“You should be thankful you can even draw a bow after losing your hand. By the way, wasn’t there Grimslawn’s cudgel?”
“I heard the Blue Sky Order took it. I was told directly by Amun-Zadek.”
“I see. That weapon was specialized for subduing without killing….”
Azadin regretted the cudgel’s absence. Even in such circumstances, he wished to avoid killing his kin if possible.
“Then, shall we move? It seems they’ve pinpointed our location.”
Was it because Azadin had shot down the bird with his arrow?
Flocks of birds began gathering in the sky.
Corpses raised for reconnaissance through necromancy, and scouting spells, focused their attention on the area where the bird had disappeared.
It was still manageable, but at this rate, it would not be long before they were discovered.
***
Already, Bruma was filled with the traces of the Nether’s reaper, the King of Waves, whom the Nagas served.
Aquatic plants sprouted on the ground, waves and seawater surged in, soaking the buildings.
The buildings of Bruma, once glistening golden with Hwangchil, now had their facades stripped away, disfigured moss and seaweed growing rampant, leaving them like ruins.
And throughout the city came the screams of Bruma’s residents who had failed to flee.
“P-please, spare us!”
“My child!”
The Nagas were driving living humans into confinement somewhere.
Behind them already lay corpses lined up as though in a fish market—heads severed on chopping blocks, entrails torn open. Among them squirmed grotesque monsters fashioned from human blood, flesh, and viscera.
The Nagas made mummies from human bones and sinew, while the heaps of entrails were lumped together to create servants of the Nether.
“…I never thought the Nagas would keep faith so earnestly.”
The herald clan frowned as they watched.
No matter how much they hated the Hubris people, they too were human. To see Nagas butchering humans and turning them into monsters was revolting.
A young herald, still not fully grown, could not endure the sight and vomited.
“Hold it in, fool. You call yourself a herald, yet you retch just from seeing corpses?”
“B-but….”
“The chief said this. Until we seize all eight thrones, we need the Naga Empire. Since those ones are steeped in the Nether cult, we are to leave them be, knowing they are necessary.”
The veteran herald comforted the younger one, though his own expression was far from bright. To wear a cheerful face in such a scene would have been stranger still.
Meanwhile, a woman clutching her infant was dragged before the Nagas and thrown onto a great wooden chopping block.
The Nagas coiled their tails around her arms and legs, binding her, then raised a massive glaive high into the air.
The baby’s cries echoed everywhere.
“……”
The young herald could not bear to watch and turned his head away.
But then—
Shwiik!
With the sound of air being cut, an arrow flew, piercing the throat of the Naga wielding the glaive.
The arrow severed its neck bone, and the great Naga staggered, dropping the glaive to the ground.
“…?!”
At the same moment, a storm of arrows rained down, fiercely ambushing the Nagas.
Startled, the Nagas raised the half-made mummies as shields, but then, arrows glowing with blue light came next.
—Beauty of Nature, Azure Moonlight, Yellow Crane!
The arrows drew a circle at the height of the mummies’ heads, and a blue halo formed. Within that halo, the heads of the mummies exploded.
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