Chapter 209. Even If I Lose the Light (4)
‘What tremendous power!’
Even to the Herald Clan, who were well accustomed to imbuing arrows with magic before firing, this was a spell of overwhelming might.
“Tch….”
At the spot where the arrow had been loosed stood a young woman of the Herald Clan. She had long black hair, violet eyes, and the tall figure of a goddess statue.
“Ah, Arael!?”
“S, so it was.”
The Herald Clan realized that the arrow just shot was Arael’s.
Indeed, it was Arael. With such power, she could dare to rebel against the Elder Council. And to reveal herself openly in such a situation—what brazen confidence.
‘Could it be she revealed herself just to save the captives from the Nagas? Admirable. An enemy, yet dignified and beautiful.’
‘Truly splendid.’
Thus, even though she was their enemy, the Heralds could not help but admire Arael’s beautiful, imposing presence.
***
Of course, Arael had no thought of saving them.
But Azadin was the first to loose an arrow at the Nagas.
Acting on his own, without seeking the consent of his companions, he charged recklessly. Indim, who had long considered Azadin a thorn in his eye, was incensed—but Arael swiftly issued a command.
“Provide covering fire!”
“What? Ah!”
Reluctantly, Indim and Arael’s subordinates gave covering fire to Azadin, and the Nagas fell like autumn leaves in the wind.
The Naga sorcerers raised undead as shields to block the arrow storm, but Azadin charged straight at them.
“Krhhhk!”
The Nagas drew their curved blades and bone spears to block him, but Azadin swung the axe-spear forged from Azure Steel, Executioner of Blue.
Blue radiance flashed, and the limbs of the Nagas flew through the air.
“Graaagh!”
But Azadin’s attack was too grand, too flamboyant. Like a windmill, his sweeping strike left an opening.
‘Damn it!’
The axe-spear was sharper than Azadin had expected.
Executioner of Blue was enchanted—drawing mana from Azadin, it repelled anything it struck, cleaving apart flesh and bone without letting blood or tissue cling to its edge. Even a mere graze would inflict a grievous wound.
It was Azadin’s first time using the weapon in real combat, and he was startled by its lethal bite.
“Now!”
The Nagas lunged for the opening with their spears. But at that instant, Azadin released his grip on the shaft of the weapon.
His hand slid naturally to the leather strap fastened to the end of the axe-spear.
With a great swing of his body, gripping only the strap, Azadin whirled Executioner of Blue.
The azure gleam drew an even larger arc than before, and the heads of the charging Nagas were severed clean.
‘Even holding only the strap, it shears through bone! The mana cost is high, but this is truly a marvelous weapon.’
The axe-spear, still spinning, cut the air and then seemed to be pulled back into Azadin’s hand.
With only two swings, he cut down Nagas and undead alike as if scattering autumn leaves. The Nagas—and even the Heralds watching—were shaken to their core.
Meanwhile, as Azadin held the front, Arael unleashed mighty magic, slaying the Nether-spawned Flesh Serpent summoned by the Nagas.
In the end, with little more than some arrows spent, they managed to rescue the captives without much harm.
But the four of Beauty of Nature seethed at Azadin’s unilateral action.
“You bastard! Always on your own!”
Indim nearly leapt at Azadin, but Arael stopped him.
“There are still clansmen watching.”
Turning to the Heralds who had hung back, observing from the rear rather than joining the fray like the Nagas, Arael asked,
“Well? What do you intend to do?”
“We….”
They had nearly retched watching the humans being slaughtered. And now, faced with the beautiful, commanding Arael, they were overawed.
Moreover, Arael’s skill was renowned even among the tribe. Though some had never seen her fight, all knew of her fearsome power, and why she was called a living goddess.
“We will pretend we saw nothing, Arael.”
“Will words alone suffice? Hand over your arrows.”
At her demand, the Heralds tossed their quivers to Arael. Having already wasted many arrows against the Nagas, her group was glad to replenish their stock.
“You are treated differently indeed.”
Watching this, Ishmael chuckled.
Had Azadin acted alone, even with good intent, they might have turned against him.
But because it was the famed Arael, wielding high magic of Beauty of Nature and overwhelming them with her presence, the Heralds gazed upon her with admiration.
She was beautiful, and long renowned as a peerless talent among them—such a reaction was only natural.
Azadin, too, understood why Ishmael said this, and could only offer a bitter smile.
“A fight avoided is always best.”
“Yet was it not you who started this fight? A fight that could have been avoided.”
Though Ishmael said so, his words fell silent when he saw Azadin stoop to pick up a fallen infant’s swaddling cloth.
Azadin returned the child to its mother, who was trembling from the terror of almost being executed.
“Hurry, take shelter.”
“Uuhhh…”
The woman snatched her baby as if it might be stolen, then shrank back from Azadin in fright. The fear of death, the shock of carnage, had shaken her to the depths of her soul.
“Ungrateful wretches who can’t even say thank you!”
Aleph of the Wind stormed toward Azadin, muttering in irritation.
“To them, the Nagas and Heralds are allies. They cannot grasp the situation.”
“So that’s why you acted on your own—for ingrates like these?”
“Don’t dwell on it. We suffered hardly any losses, didn’t we? If a little effort can save lives, it’s not so bad.”
“They are the people of Hubris. If our positions were reversed, they would have stoned us instead.”
“Did your mother tell you as a child that she meant to kill you, or some such paranoid fantasy?”
“…What?”
“Seems you have a habit of twisting things that haven’t even happened into something bad, just to torment yourself.”
“You wretch… I outrank you, and you dare spout such insolence!?”
The Four of Beauty of Nature were not only senior in rank to Azadin, but also older in years.
The Herald Clan, the Aragasa, upheld traditions of hierarchy and seniority, which made Azadin’s provocation sting all the more.
Though Azadin still disliked Arael’s company, right now they were among the few he could rely on, and there was no benefit in souring relations further.
“Fine. I admit I acted without warning. That was improper procedure. I apologize.”
“Hah! Easy to apologize with words alone.”
The Four of Beauty of Nature, already displeased with Azadin, seemed intent on using this opportunity to put him firmly in his place. But it was hardly the time.
Far off at the spire, Nagas spotted the disturbance and blew into their conch horns.
—Bwooooo!
The blaring carried loudly.
“Damn it! We’ve been discovered!?”
“Because of your reckless meddling!”
“No, we’d have been spotted once we came this far anyway. There are too many scouts, and wards set as well.”
“Utter nonsense! This is your fault!”
Though furious at Azadin’s shamelessness, the Four of Beauty of Nature had no choice but to move swiftly before the enemy closed in.
***
Azadin and Arael’s group leapt onto the rooftops of Bruma.
The Heralds, with their superior mobility, ran across the rooftops as though flat ground, and even if Nagas or undead attacked, few could block their path.
The problem lay with other Heralds. By now, they had completed their survey of Bruma’s layout, and posted themselves at key choke points for infiltration.
Yet none stood to block Azadin’s path. They loosed arrows half-heartedly, then retreated when the group drew near, avoiding true clashes. It was deliberate sabotage.
“Not having to fight is nice, but why are they acting like that?”
When Azadin asked, Seraph shrugged.
“It is because Lady Arael’s renown is so great. Even if they have sided with the Elder Council, none wish to stand against her.”
Azadin eyed Seraph with suspicion.
‘So, he scolds me for being young and low-ranked, yet to Arael he shows deference.’
The Four of Beauty of Nature, bound by absolute loyalty to Arael, were near impossible to reason with. Whatever was said, their words circled back to devotion and admiration for her.
The one in question, Arael, spoke herself.
“To seize the throne, to usurp the kingdom—that much was agreed. But none imagined it would mean allying with Nagas, massacring the people, and summoning Nether’s reapers. Even with grudges against Hubris, no one truly desires to set the world aflame and bring ruin.”
“Then why not purge the chieftain?”
“That is not so simple.”
“Why? I’ve lived in the Holy Land for years and barely ever saw the chieftain.”
As Kazas’s disciple, Azadin had spent over a decade at his side, yet could count the times he saw the chieftain on one hand.
Chieftain Hatir rarely appeared and seldom involved himself in Aragasa affairs—so why did he wield such power?
“Because he is the one who provides the Aragasa with divine blood.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Most of the Elders, though they’ve lived past a century, still keep youthful appearances. Do you know why? Because they all carry the blood of Chieftain Hatir, the blood of Emperor Yaeslat.”
“What… Are you certain?”
“Yes. That was why I rebelled. Because of my exceptional lineage, they ordered me to bear Chieftain Hatir’s child—as though bestowing a favor.”
Even as she spoke, Arael shuddered, as if recalling a nightmare.
“What?”
Azadin was stunned.
If Arael’s lineage was exceptional, so was his. Yet he had never heard of such a thing.
“When was this?”
“When we were children, before I scarred you.”
“So that’s….”
Azadin searched his memories and was shocked.
From such a young age, Arael had been burdened with that fate?
“I refuse to be treated as livestock. And I believe the children of our people, yet to be born, will not want to live as livestock either. That is why, from then on, I prepared for rebellion.”
Arael glanced at her subordinates.
“Enough useless talk. Let us keep moving. While the clans sabotage their own defense, we must reach the throne as quickly as possible. Hatir has not yet recovered the power he spent to claim it.”
Saying so, she looked back at Azadin, as though wanting to speak further—but gave up, and strode on.
‘What was that? Was she asking me to understand, because she endured such things in childhood? But….’
Azadin felt shaken, realizing that Arael too had borne hardships he had never known.
No comments yet. Be the first to leave a review!