"You bastard!"
"I'll curse you until I die!"
Those who had just lost one of their two eyeballs hurled all kinds of curses, as if their earlier flattery had been a lie. Among them were some quite creative curses that impressed Azadin.
"Being full of vigor is fine, but make sure to wrap the wounds properly so they don't fester. Wash them thoroughly, especially the parts where the optic nerves were severed, using strong alcohol. And don't drink until it heals."
Azadin gave them advice to prevent their wounds from worsening and pulled his goat forward. Midiam and Ishmael followed behind him, each leading a goat.
***
The goats walked well, seemingly recovered after having plenty of water and grass. Midiam glanced back at the thugs they had left behind and chuckled.
"At first, I thought you were just letting them off without any punishment, and it surprised me. But seeing how you handled it, I think this method is fine too."
"Those who oppress and plunder the weak must experience being weak themselves to understand the pain. Losing one eye will mess up their depth perception, making it difficult for them to brawl or fight effectively. In time, they'll go from the role of plundering aggressors to that of plundered victims. This will give them plenty of time for reflection and repentance. People don't understand others unless they switch positions."
"So, what you're doing is saving not only their lives but also their souls. You're giving them a chance to repent. If it were other clans, they would've just killed them, so even letting them live is already a mercy, right? But, what if their wounds fester and they die?"
"Well, then it's something to leave for the afterlife. I'm just a powerless human being, after all. I can't do what I can't do."
Azadin was certainly a good man, but he wasn't a pushover. He punished those who deserved punishment, and he was willing to accept the possibility that his actions could cost lives.
In some ways, he seemed even more ruthless than those who killed cleanly.
"Is it really okay to let them live? They now bear a grudge against you," Ishmael said, still uneasy with Azadin's approach.
But Azadin merely shook his head.
"Well, they may survive and make it down the mountain, but even if they report me, it'll be far too late. But what bothers me is..."
"Yes?"
"The fact that Margrave Kazel is searching for pages of the Book of the Divine King. It's understandable that he would want it, but a noble of his rank should have better judgment, shouldn't he?"
"If it's Margrave Kazel, I did hear on the way that he ranks fairly high in Korasar's line of succession. However, he lost most of his territories after being defeated in the battle for the throne and was reduced to a margrave."
Ishmael shared the rumors he had heard on their journey.
"Although he was politically pushed out of the succession battle, he's probably hoping to climb back up using magic prowess by obtaining the copy of the Book of the Divine King."
"That's precisely what's strange. The King of Korasar is younger and in perfect health. If, despite that, Margrave Kazel is trying to get his hands on a copy of the book, then… hmm, he's a dangerous man. We need to be cautious until we leave his territory. I'll have to take off this mask."
The hawk-shaped mask, a symbol of the herald, left such a strong impression that it was unforgettable. To conceal his identity while traveling, Azadin had to remove it.
"Ah, finally, I get to see your real face," Midiam said with excitement.
"Don't get too excited. It's hideous and not worth looking at," Azadin warned as he removed his mask. Both Midiam and Ishmael were taken aback.
Beneath the mask was a handsome face, with a prominent nose and striking eyebrows. If not for the long, horizontal scars where his eyes should have been, it would have been perfect.
"You… you have no eyes?"
"So, Azadin…"
The name Azadin referred to the eyeless evil dragon in the ancient myths of the herald clan. According to their myths, the Eyeless Evil Dragon, Azadin, and the Angel of Justice, Arael, would wage an ongoing battle between good and evil. On the last day of the world, the two would destroy each other, bringing the mythical era to an end.
To someone without eyes, the name Azadin fits perfectly.
"But you don't seem blind at all."
"Well, I can see, little m… Midiam."
"How can you see without eyes?"
"I don't know either. I've been able to see ever since I was born without eyes. That's why they gave me the name Azadin."
Azadin put the mask away and retrieved a staff that was strapped to Kerim the goat's saddle.
"Thanks to this, I can pass through places easily. If I pretend to be blind, the soldiers just leave me alone. So, when I travel alone, there's no problem. But this time, since you're with me, I'll need you to play along," he said before clicking his tongue.
"Anyway, why am I stuck with you two? Let's just find a safe place, and we'll part ways there, okay?"
"Aw, can't you take me on as your servant? I've already grown attached to you," Midiam teased.
"No. You'll only be a burden," Azadin replied, ignoring Midiam's playful tone as he unstrung his bow and arrows.
"If a blind man carries a bow, it'll look strange. I'll put away the arrows…"
Azadin tucked his arrows away, leaned on his staff, and walked ahead.
He looked every bit the part of a wandering blind pilgrim.
***
The Imperial Road.
It was a road constructed after Emperor Yaeslat unified the continent.
Connecting the major cities of the continent, this road was a marvel of engineering and magical prowess. Even after 300 years, it remained in pristine condition without much maintenance.
The king's church had renamed it the Continental Road, but in places where the church's influence didn't reach, people still revered Emperor Yaeslat's enduring power and called it the Imperial Road.
Along this road, there were pilgrims.
The king's church, which worshiped the Clan of the Eight Divine Kings, and the knightly order of salvation both acknowledged pilgrimage as a virtuous act. The common people of Hubris believed in reincarnation, aiming to accumulate good deeds and be reborn into a higher status in their next life.
Azadin and his companions pretended to be pilgrims as they walked along the Imperial Road.
"Hey, stop staring," Azadin said.
"I can't help it. Now that I know you're injured, it's fascinating. You must have been incredibly handsome before the accident. Your jawline is really well-defined," Midiam commented.
"What?"
"Honestly, the scar makes you more intriguing. Instead of awkward eyes, the scar lets my imagination fill in the blanks. It actually makes you look even better."
"You sound just like Arael," Azadin muttered.
"Like Arael? Did she say the same thing?"
"No," Azadin shook his head. "She's the one who gave me the scar," he said, running his fingers over it with a shudder.
***
At the crossroads of the Imperial Road and the eastern inland trails, there was a village with more than 300 households.
In the sparsely populated northern regions, it was considered a sizable city. However, in the densely populated central regions, this village didn't even have a proper name.
People called this village the "Eastern Gateway" village. The village was currently occupied by a mercenary group led by Tarkiev, an illegitimate son of Margrave Kazel. They were searching through the belongings of both villagers and travelers, looking for pages of the Book of the Divine King.
Of course, when the mercenaries searched someone's belongings and found no copy of the Book of the Divine King, they didn't neatly repack the items. Instead, if they found valuables or money, they would casually take them without hesitation.
In short, this was blatant looting.
***
As its name implied, the Eastern Gateway village served as a checkpoint leading to the Imperial Road. With inspections and searches taking place at the checkpoint, Midiam and Ishmael were taken aback by the scene.
"What?"
"Wasn't it… different last time?"
When they had passed through this checkpoint before, the situation wasn't this extreme. Back then, they only had to pay a small toll to pass, but now, mercenaries who looked unmistakably like thugs were openly plundering travelers.
"Hmm."
Azadin, pretending to be blind and walking with a staff, was also taken aback.
'Could this be because I harmed the young master Kozel? No, I only dealt with him a few days ago, so it shouldn't be known this quickly.'
Just then, a group of merchants approached Azadin and spoke to him.
"Hey, are you blind?"
"Yes, I am."
"And these kids?"
"They're orphans traveling with me on a pilgrimage."
Azadin responded as he made the sign of the cross, a gesture symbolizing his faith in the angels and the salvation knight order.
"Ah, I see. You must be a nobleman if you're taking care of orphans."
"I'm not a noble. I'm just a pilgrim wandering in search of miracles."
"Good heavens. May the blessings of the Three Archangels be with you."
The merchant made the sign of the cross in front of Azadin.
"But, what's going on here?"
"You don't know? Haven't you heard the recent rumors about the Book of the Divine King?"
"The Book of the Divine King?"
"Yes. The rumor is that the herald clan stole the book and made copies, which are now appearing all over the world. Margrave Kazel's illegitimate sons are desperately searching for it. Supposedly, if they find a copy, they won't send it to the king's church but will be granted knighthood instead."
The inheritance law of the Kingdom of the Eight Divine Kings followed the principle of primogeniture. Titles and territories were not divided, and the eldest son inherited everything. Those who did not inherit anything had to either serve as officials or vassals under their elder siblings.
In cases where there was no land to distribute, they had no choice but to become adventurers or merchants, or join the king's church and become clergy.
Although the title of clergy in the king's church might sound prestigious, it was a position with heavy duties and little benefit, making it undesirable.
Being an illegitimate noble wasn't an easy life either, but it was far freer and more comfortable than becoming a holy knight under the king's church. So, if they didn't want to be forcibly sent into religious service, they had no choice but to desperately search for the Book of the Divine King.
Or, they could use the search as an excuse to indulge in looting.
'This is bad.'
The problem was that Azadin currently had a page of the Book of the Divine King hidden on him. He had concealed it well, but seeing how thoroughly they were searching people's belongings, it wasn't a joke. Right in front of Azadin, a merchant was having a jewel hidden in his underwear forcibly taken by the mercenaries.