Midiam and Ishmael followed Azadin, observing his mood as they walked. Only then did Midiam and Ishmael recall what they had received.
"Ah, wait. Azadin."
"...."
Azadin didn't respond.
"Um, Herald?"
"...."
"You, the handsome guy walking over there?"
"Pfft."
Ishmael couldn't hold back and burst into laughter. Azadin sighed and came to a stop.
"What now?"
"We had something we forgot. There's a letter for you."
"A letter? Who sent it?"
"The regional head of Salasma."
"Tch."
Azadin looked disappointed at the mention of the regional head.
"Seems like you were expecting a different letter?"
"No."
Azadin shook his head.
"Sigh. Alright. Let me see it."
Azadin received the letter from Ishmael and opened it. Its contents were a reprimand for omitting too many midterm reports and a note that the retrieval of the copies of the Book of the Divine King, which had recently appeared around the world, would be reflected in performance evaluations.
'If it's written in the letter, it means the other heralds already know about it.'
Azadin sighed after reading the regional leader's letter.
"Do you two know about this?"
"Huh? I haven't read the letter."
"They say copies of the Book of the Divine King have recently appeared in the world."
"Oh, that. Yeah, I know. The copy of the Book of the Divine King—your father distributed to the world when he betrayed the clan... Ow!"
When Midiam spoke without thinking, Ishmael couldn't hold back and stepped on her foot.
"What's wrong with you? Why'd you do that?"
But Midiam had no clue about the situation.
"Forget it. So, even you know about it, huh?"
If even candidates for an servant position, those not yet officially appointed, were aware of the copies of the Book of the Divine King, then a significant number of herald clans must know as well.
"How many have they acquired so far? If they said it will be reflected in performance evaluations, how much weight are they placing on it?"
"The retrieval of the Book of the Divine King pages? Um, not sure."
"You don't know that? Hmm, guess I'll have to visit the regional head."
Azadin lamented the fact that, as the letter indicated, he had no choice but to visit the regional head.
"Fine. Thanks for delivering the letter. I've received it."
"Then, can I get a reward for delivering the letter?"
"Reward?"
"Yes. Recognize me as your servant."
"No, that's not happening."
"Why not?"
"First, because your motive for seeking me out is impure."
"Impure motive?"
"Yes. You came to me intending to challenge me to a duel because you thought I looked like an easy target. So, why should I accept you as my servant?"
"Th-That was my mistake, I admit it. But heralds need to take on servants, right?"
"That's the second reason. While, technically, the relationship between a herald and their servant is up to the individuals involved, traditionally, families arrange it. Now, little miss, do you think the Aether family would accept me as your mentor? I'm the very Azadin despised by the entire clan. Did you come here with permission from your head of household, after telling them you'd serve under me?"
"Ah, no, not exactly."
Midiam had charged in, thinking only of defeating Azadin to become a herald, without considering the aftermath. Azadin had pointed out exactly where she had gone wrong, leaving her speechless.
"See? I don't want to get involved in the mess you created."
"Are you rejecting me as a servant because I'm from the Aether family?"
"That's part of it, but fundamentally, I don't believe in slavery."
"I-I see."
Midiam was at a loss for words in response to Azadin's statement.
"Now that you understand, will you back off?"
"Uh, hmm."
Midiam hesitated before asking,
"Then, at least, could we be travel companions on the way?"
"Travel companions? Why would I do that?"
"Well... I could tell you about what's been happening in the clan."
"...."
Ishmael watched Midiam pleading with Azadin with fascination. Midiam, known for her arrogance and conceit as a member of the Aether family, was now doing everything she could to attach herself to Azadin, who continued to ignore her.
"Since we're headed in the same direction, could we at least travel together for a while?"
"It's not like I own this path, so do as you wish and follow if you want."
With that, Azadin started walking ahead.
***
The Herald clan consists of 108 heralds, their servants, and commoners engaged in various livelihoods.
Among them, those involved in commerce operate as a guild, spread across the world to support the heralds. The regional branch offices of this guild serve as their local headquarters.
The liaison for the heralds at these branches is called the regional head.
Originally, the work had begun to support the heralds, but trade isn't something one can approach half-heartedly.
Once they got serious about commerce, the guild truly started to run smoothly. It reached a point where it felt like the roles had reversed, making it seem as if the heralds now existed to support the guild.
It went something like this:
'Since we've just entered commerce, the existing guilds are being territorial. Let's kidnap their family members and negotiate.'
'Officials in the XX region demanded bribes and seized our goods. If we give in once, they'll keep demanding more, so let's send a warning by killing them. Kill their entire family brutally and put them on display.'
This was the type of mission they assigned to the heralds.
Azadin hated it. While the Curse of Service bound the entire clan, the emperor's expectation of the herald clan was to maintain public order, not to assist in assassinations, kidnappings, extortion, or threats.
Wasn't this no different from being assassins hired by a merchants' guild?
When Azadin rejected the regional head of Salasma's requests several times, the regional head began to resent him greatly. Especially since Azadin was already ostracized for being the son of a traitor, worsening his relationship with the regional head only deepened his isolation within the herald clan.
He had been avoiding the Salasma regional head, but after the pages of the Book of the Divine King began circulating, the organization seemed to have prioritized re-establishing the communication network.
Although Azadin was told to meet the regional head in Salasma, he was currently in one of the most remote areas of the Salasma margrave's territory. Even following the road, there was no telling how long it would take to reach Salasma.
To make matters worse, the area had experienced drought throughout the month, leaving the nearby villages desolate. The roadside tea houses and inns had been abandoned and were now empty. As night fell and the air grew cold, Azadin decided to camp by the roadside and prepared to settle down.
Having traveled in haste, he had minimal supplies. He wrapped himself in his cloak and sat by a rock to shield himself from the wind. Meanwhile, Midiam and Ishmael warmed themselves by pressing against the mountain goats they had brought and munched on rations.
"Come over here."
"No, I'm fine."
For Azadin, telling Midiam and Ishmael to go away only to end up relying on their goats for warmth was unthinkable. But Midiam saw this as an opportunity and beckoned him.
"We're part of the same clan. Isn't it strange for us to be apart when we've met in this faraway land?"
"...."
Ishmael was taken aback by Midiam's words.
Was this really the same arrogant, haughty Midiam he knew?
She seemed genuinely hurt by Azadin's rejection after her defeat. Having never been treated like this before, Midiam was desperate to prove her worth to him.
"Don't you need water? I still have some in my canteen…"
"...."
Azadin sighed and gradually moved closer to their Kerim goats. As he drew near, the warmth emanating from them was undeniable.
"Well, since we've met fellow clan members in this distant land, this much should be okay."
"Right?"
Midiam smiled brightly and handed him her canteen and rations.
"Yawn. I'm sleepy. Should we assign watch duty?"
"Heralds don't need a watch; the Emperor's Voice warns us," Azadin replied.
Midiam glanced at Azadin and saw him gazing up at the night sky, observing the stars.
She studied his face. Beneath the bird-shaped mask characteristic of a herald, his lower face was youthful and smooth, with barely any sign of facial hair. From what was visible, one could assume he was extremely handsome.
'I don't know what's hidden behind the mask, but from what I can see, he's definitely good-looking. I'd love to see what's beneath that mask.'
With such bold thoughts in mind, Midiam drifted off to sleep.
***
Perhaps due to the fatigue of the long journey, she slept soundly without even dreaming. When she opened her eyes, the morning sun was rising.
"Alright, little miss and droopy eyes, time to get up."
Azadin was already awake and stretching. Despite everything, he too had benefited from the warmth of their Kerim goats during the night.
Initially, he had kept his distance, but at some point during the night, he had unknowingly snuggled into the goats' fur. Embarrassed, Azadin cleared his throat and looked out at the sunrise.
"Little miss, huh? My name is Midiam. But if it's a nickname spoken with affection, I'll gladly accept it."
"Alright, Midiam."
Since calling her "little miss" could imply affection, Azadin decided to call her by her name instead.
"Uh, I'm Ishmael. If you'd like to give me a nickname too…"
"Shut it, droopy eyes."
Ishmael, attempting to follow Midiam's lead, ended up worse off. Azadin checked the condition of the goats and said,
"Thanks to your goats, I slept warmly last night. I appreciate it."
"It's nothing. We just happened to meet fellow clan members in this distant land."
Midiam chuckled, already adopting a lighthearted tone.
"But these goats don't have horseshoes, do they?"
"Horseshoes?"
"If you nail those on, the goats won't be able to traverse mountain paths."
"But we followed the Emperor's road."
Azadin gestured to the road.
"Without shoes, their hooves wear down quickly on paved roads. I have some horseshoes among my supplies. Until I nail them on, don't ride the goats—walk instead. The goats are thirsty too. If we don't get over that mountain and find a place with plenty of water soon, they won't last."
Azadin began urging them along.
"Ah, th-then?!"
Midiam eagerly followed, but Azadin drew a firm line.
"Only until we meet other nearby clan members. After that, you're heading back. Understood?"
"Ah, yes."
Midiam glanced at Azadin with a hint of resentment at his continued boundary-setting.
Azadin walked with long strides, covering ground quickly, keeping pace with the others despite them being on goats. Midiam took the opportunity to ride beside him and silently gaze at his face.