-Sreung!
Midiam had already drawn her dagger and disappeared before their eyes, using the secret technique of Beauty of Nature known as Mistletoe.
In a flash, she was on the back of one of Azadin's peers, her blade pressed against his neck.
"What?!"
"You little—"
Everyone was stunned by Midiam's boldness, even Azadin himself.
'I knew she was going to do something, but I didn't think she'd go this far!'
As everyone stood frozen, Midiam's youthful but fierce voice rang out.
"Hey, you servant scum, do you think you can keep sneering at the herald?"
"Huh, wait—little miss?"
Midiam's blade trembled.
-Swiiik!
A sound of skin being cut echoed as blood trickled down.
"Little miss? Are you seriously not understanding the situation right now? I'm a member of the Aether bloodline. Does a servant think my words are a joke?"
"Ah..."
"What, you don't like the herald? Then challenge him first before you insult him. If you win, you might even become the herald yourself. Why not challenge him instead of snickering in the shadows like a coward? What's this about deciding things among yourselves by taking turns? How ridiculous. Do you think being a herald is so easy?"
Midiam's murderous aura left the merchant guild members in a panic.
She looked as if she was truly ready to kill.
By the rules, Midiam was right. The herald held the highest priority, and the merchant guild was merely a support organization, meant to gather information and finances to assist the heralds.
But the leaders of the guild had a different perspective. The emperor was dead, and the herald's activities, driven by the curse of service, no longer held any real meaning. What truly mattered now was money, social influence, and ultimately, power.
In any organization, the side that brings in the money inevitably becomes the master.
Even so, the merchant guild generally didn't openly disrespect the heralds—except when it came to Azadin. But Midiam chose to press them precisely on this point of principle.
"What's your mission? To support the emperor's herald for the sake of your clan, right? Then why are you acting like you're something special by insulting the herald? Does that help your mission?"
"Well, I mean..."
"If you don't like Azadin but lack the confidence to challenge him in a duel, then keep it to yourself. Just smile like you do when you're selling goods to the Hubris people. Can't manage even that? Then you're not even fit to be a servant. Go farm in the holy land or die here by my hand. A worthless fool who can't even handle a child like me has no right to dream big!"
Scoffing, Midiam withdrew her blade from the servant's neck and was back at Azadin's side before anyone could react.
"Ugh..."
"D-damn it!"
Azadin's former classmates were torn between charging at Midiam or holding back.
But...
"She's Aether."
"Right, we almost forgot."
"Damn. Given our position, we can't mess with an Aether."
"Yeah..."
Azadin's former classmates swallowed their rage, recalling Midiam's status as a member of the Aether bloodline.
"Here's a cloak. How about wearing this?"
Ignoring the stares of Azadin's classmates, Midiam grabbed a cloak from the caravan's merchandise.
"This will do."
Azadin accepted it and headed toward the bath area behind the caravan's campsite.
***
"Azadin's here?"
The southern caravan leader of the Korasar Merchant Guild was a man named Derick, originally a member of the Savan family, the founding bloodline of the herald clan, and a former herald himself.
But he had once ambushed Arael, the clan's rising star, only to be severely injured by her counterattack. His ankle, which had suffered a complex fracture, never fully healed, making it impossible for him to continue as a herald.
As punishment, the Savan family had disowned him and sent him to a branch family, stripping him of his title as herald.
It was a humiliating penalty, though some would consider it a merciful one.
Heralds were forbidden from fighting one another unless absolutely necessary. Derick's attack on Arael had been a personal vendetta, and after being defeated, he should have faced death.
However, thanks to the Savan family's strong backing, Derick was allowed to live as a merchant instead.
"Yes, Azadin has arrived. He requested some basic repairs, and we've agreed to help him."
"Help him. Supporting the heralds is our duty as a merchant guild."
"Are you sure? That guy became a herald three months ago, skipping all proper procedures. Everyone despises him."
"It's fine. He won't be playing the role of herald for much longer, anyway. Isn't the Aether girl near him right now, acting as his servant? I'm sure she's planning to challenge him to a duel soon. What a bold kid. Trying to match Arael's record of becoming a herald at 13, I bet."
Derick smirked slyly.
If Midiam challenged Azadin and won, it would be an embarrassment for Azadin and tarnish Arael's reputation by association—an outcome Derick would thoroughly enjoy. But as the servant reporting to him looked uneasy, Derick frowned.
"What's the matter?"
"Well, that Aether girl just caused a commotion in the camp."
"A commotion? What do you mean?"
"She slashed the necks of Azadin's former classmates after they insulted him."
"What?"
Derick groaned, understanding the implication. Midiam had officially taken on the role of Azadin's servant.
"Hmm? I heard she was an overconfident brat, but did Azadin manage to defeat her? Or is she just waiting to confirm his skills before challenging him?"
Derick pondered Midiam's motives.
A daring girl who had come to claim the position of herald through a duel. From Derick's perspective, Midiam was an arrogant child confident she could beat someone like Azadin.
Even though Azadin was unpopular among the herald clans, the role of herald was meant to be respected. For someone so young and newly trained to challenge a herald would be seen as disrespectful by the more traditional members of the clan.
But Derick had no intention of stopping her. If Midiam humiliated Azadin, it would also sully Arael's image.
Yet, now she seemed committed to serving Azadin.
"Maybe she realized that openly challenging him would be too reckless and is biding her time. Or maybe she's grown fond of him. She's certainly a promising candidate for the herald position once this year's festival arrives."
"I see. Hmm, I thought she was a reckless fool, but it seems she's more perceptive than I gave her credit for. So, what's Azadin doing now?"
"He's taking a bath."
"Really? Then ask him if he'll join us for dinner, and invite him to the meal."
"Understood."
***
The subordinates left to deliver Derick's message to Azadin.
The caravan's campsite was made up of several tents, and Azadin was currently bathing in one of them, with a large tub set up inside.
Azadin handed his laundry to the servants and submerged himself in the bath.
"Excuse me, Lord Azadin?"
One of the servants approached him. His respectful demeanor suggested that he was not from the Aragasa clan of the herald lineage, but rather a lower-ranking employee.
"What is it?"
"Lord Derick has invited you to join him for dinner."
"Derick? Got it. I have some things to say to him, anyway."
Azadin agreed to the dinner invitation.
In the central, lavish tent of the caravan, Derick was already dining.
"You invited me for dinner, yet you're eating without waiting for your guest?"
Azadin was bewildered to find Derick eating before his arrival.
"Hmm, I started without you. Why don't you take a seat?"
Derick calmly wiped his mouth and gestured for Azadin to sit, offering him the lower seat—a deliberate insult. Sighing, Azadin recognized Derick's intention to humiliate him openly.
"Derick."
"Just endure it. Your servant attacked members of the Korasar Merchant Guild. Did she know that they work for the Savan family?"
This was the problem.
Among the herald clans, the herald held the highest authority, transcending bloodlines.
It was akin to the old imperial examination system, where talent, not lineage, determined one's rank.
But the five founding bloodlines, and those working for their enterprises, prioritized money, profit, and the power derived from them over the honor of the heralds.
Ignoring this reality would provoke too much resistance, making it difficult to accomplish anything.
"Fine. Since it's true that Midiam was disrespectful today, I'll tolerate your insult as well."
Technically, Midiam wasn't even Azadin's servant, but he chose to take responsibility for her actions and took a bite of the food Derick had served.
"Let's get to the point. I recently dealt with an ogre and a pack of goblins..."
"You did?"
"I found this."
Azadin placed a bone wand on the table.
"Have you seen anything like this before?"
"Ah, this."
Derick nodded.
"The regional head summoned you because of that. The cultists of the Kurt Clan have been searching for a copy of the Book of the Divine King, and this wand is their tracking tool."
"Looks like everyone else already knew about it."
"Yes. You'd know, too, if you reported properly to the regional head."
"With everyone itching to humiliate me, you think I'd want to report anything?"
"For someone so unwilling, you managed to find your way here just fine."
"It just happened to be on the way."
"Still, bringing that wand is a noteworthy achievement. I'll give you some credit. Did those cultists have a copy of the Book of the Divine King?"
"No, they didn't."
"Really? The way you're talking makes it sound like you found it elsewhere."
"I did. I guess the other heralds haven't had much luck, huh?"
"...What?"
Derick's eyes widened.
"What did you say?"
"You found a copy of the Book of the Divine King?"
"Just one page, though."
Derick, shocked, opened his mouth in disbelief, letting out a hiccup.
"W-where did you find it?"
"Judging by your reaction, I'm guessing everyone else is stuck?"
"Where did you find it, and how?"
"Under a well in an abandoned frontier village in the eastern interior."
"Really? Damn it, so you found it that easily?"
"It wasn't exactly easy."
If not for the guidance of the ghosts, Azadin wouldn't have found the copy even if he had drained the well. But he had no intention of sharing those details.
"Anyway, carrying a page of the Book of the Divine King makes you a target for this wand's tracking, right? If we're going to gather more pages, we'll need a way to avoid being tracked by the wand."
"Before that, hand over the page of the Book of the Divine King."
Derick demanded the page from Azadin, but Azadin sensed something odd about his desperation.