'But what if he persuades her?'
Midiam was surprised by her own thoughts.
She hadn't considered it at all.
If Azadin persuades her? What in the world would happen?
***
[I've waited for ten thousand nights.]
The caster spoke.
At the same time, a black aura enveloped the wyverns.
[From childhood until now, I have waited, believing that someday my clan would come to free me from this miserable life….]
The delusions of a persecuted girl. But because it was her only hope, she endured the continuous abuse and humiliation.
[But you never came.]
When the wish nurtured for ten thousand nights was shattered, betrayal and resentment must have taken root. That hatred, undiluted, now raised the undead.
The wyverns, whose intestines had been torn apart by Azadin's arrows and died instantly, rose again as undead. Even the bear that had just fallen stood up once more as an undead.
"I'm sorry. You bore the humiliation and persecution against our clan all on your own."
Azadin apologized. It had only been three months since he had become a herald overseeing this region. He had received no proper handover or briefing.
Thus, Azadin was ignorant of the events that had transpired.
It was a situation where he couldn't take responsibility even if he wanted to.
And yet, Azadin could not make excuses. No excuse would suffice for the pain she had endured.
[…]
Was it because of Azadin's apology?
The undead that had risen stood blankly, making no move to attack.
[Even so, I cannot forgive. I have already delved into black magic, and I will annihilate all living things. Only death can bring solace to this suffering.]
The undead bear and wyverns exuded a menacing aura.
Were they about to attack?
Azadin let out a sigh.
"Where were your children sold?"
[They were not the children I wanted! They are the offspring of those who violated me, the Hubris people!]
"But even so, those children will suffer simply for carrying Aragasa's blood. Just like you, they will live as slaves for ten thousand nights, perhaps even longer, enduring disgrace and growing to resent the clan that never came to save them. If you do not wish to pass your suffering onto them… surrender to me and tell me your children's whereabouts."
[…]
"I swear upon the name of Emperor Yaeslat that I will find and rescue them. If you have spent ten thousand nights in agony, you do not wish for those nights to be repeated for your children, do you?"
As Azadin spoke, the darkness began to waver.
[My… my children? You'll rescue my children? Is that possible?]
"It is possible. I told you, we of Aragasa shoot down stars and even kill the divine kings. The Hubris people may despise us, but even in their contempt, our convictions remain unshaken."
"..."
"..."
Hearing Azadin's words, both Ishmael and Midiam were at a loss for words.
'Look at him, lying so effortlessly without even wetting his lips.'
'Conviction? Since when did we have something like that?'
Even as a member of one of the founding families of the Herald Clan, Midiam could say with certainty—no such noble herald clan existed anywhere.
The duty of heralds was enforced by a curse.
The founders of their clan sought nothing but wealth and power.
Once they retrieved the copy of the Book of the Divine King and lifted the curse of service, they would seize nations with their newfound strength, repaying the scorn they had endured with oppression and suffering.
There was no honor in it, only greed.
And yet, here was Azadin, acting as if he were the proud herald of a dignified emperor, coaxing the caster with his deception.
A liar.
But his actions were so earnest that even they wanted to believe him.
Honor and dignity, beyond mere profit and loss.
If such things truly existed… maybe, just maybe…
[I surrender.]
Everyone doubted their own ears at that moment.
A shattered vessel can never return to its original form. It can be patched up, but only if it is a vessel worth the effort.
A broken human is even more so.
Especially when black magic is involved—human souls become corrupted and ruined beyond repair.
Yet here was a dark mage, one who had spent a lifetime being despised and violated, one consumed by hatred, suddenly relinquishing all hostility and surrendering to Azadin.
[I entrust my children, whom I bore but could not embrace, to your honor and dignity. Please, save them.]
She knelt before Emperor's Herald Azadin and made her plea.
As she surrendered, the undead collapsed, and the mist in the forest dissipated.
It was a miraculous victory.
But its price was a heavy promise.
A promise to rescue her children.
A promise sworn upon the Emperor's name, upon honor and dignity—one that could never be a falsehood.
A woman stepped forward from the forest and knelt respectfully before Azadin, offering both her hands.
Her entire being radiated submission, making it clear she would not resist.
Azadin approached her.
"Of course. Your children are of our clan, and how could we turn a blind eye to the pain and humiliation of our own?"
Azadin lowered himself before the kneeling woman and clasped her hands.
Her hands were scarred, with black fungal-like growths spreading from them.
Not just her hands—her entire body bore wounds beyond what any human could endure.
She had likely already died.
She was simply unaware of it herself.
"How many children? Do you remember who bought them? What merchants from which firm?"
[Yes. I do not recall everything perfectly, but I recorded some clues and hid them in a warehouse. I did not want to forget. However…]
"How did you obtain your power?"
[I received it from a grimoire that whispered to me. A book that called itself a copy of the Book of the Divine King….]
"…A copy of the Book of the Divine King?"
Azadin frowned at those words.
Did she really acquire black magic using a copy of the Book of the Divine King?
That was impossible.
The Yaegas Divine Clan, the Knights of Salvation—wherever one looked, black mana was always rejected.
And yet, was there black magic within the Book of the Divine King?
[I will return the grimoire to you. Please…]
But she could not finish her sentence.
—'Beauty of Nature! The autumn field's flame!'
The forest surrounding the lumberyard suddenly burst into flames.
***
[Kyaaaah!]
Though she was already dead, lingering as a specter, she shrieked and writhed in agony from the heat of the flames before collapsing.
"Damn it!"
As Azadin straightened up, a clear voice rang out.
"Ahaha, Azadin, how foolish. That woman isn't one of our clan. You can't even tell because you lack magic?"
A herald wearing a hawk mask stood there, holding a bone wand. A bone wand enchanted with a spell to search for the Book of the Divine King.
That alone was surprising, but behind him stood members of the Korasar Peddlers' Guild and armed servants from the Savan family, one of the founding families of the Herald Clan. There were quite a few of them.
"Oh, you must not recognize me since I wasn't at the summer solstice festival. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Calypso, 106th rank."
"What is the meaning of this?"
"As you can see, I'm exterminating an vengeful spirit and collecting copies of the Book of the Divine King."
"This is my jurisdiction."
"But rumors say you're so incompetent that you haven't accomplished much. And they say you can't even keep your servant under control."
As Calypso spoke, the servants beside her looked familiar.
Among them were Azadin's fellow trainees whom Midiam had threatened with a blade, as well as the tea merchant they had encountered before arriving here.
The common thread—they were all affiliated with the Korasar Peddlers' Guild and had all been humiliated by Midiam's threats.
Those who had once scorned Azadin but had been put in their place by Midiam had now returned with Calypso.
"Hm."
Azadin glanced at the fallen mage. The cause of the black magic catastrophe was now just a lifeless corpse.
"That woman doesn't have the grimoire, Beauty of Nature. I already checked. She's not an Aragasa. So, you should be grateful to me. Now you don't have to deal with the disgraceful mess the Hubris people caused, right? Honestly, using the Emperor's name over some lowly Hubris filth? Hah."
Just as Calypso spoke, a pure white sheet of paper suddenly floated in front of Azadin.
The copy of the Book of the Divine King emerged from the now truly lifeless woman's body.
"Ah… there it is. Just as expected."
Calypso put away the bone wand and reached for the book, but…
The copy of the Book of the Divine King soared through the air, choosing Azadin as its owner.
"..."
Calypso's lips twitched.
"It seems the book recognizes its rightful master. How mystical. Well, of course—it's the Book of the Divine King, after all!"
Midiam sneered as she nocked an arrow.
— 'Beauty of Nature! Samidare!'
[T/L: Samidare: a heavy rain that occurs around the fifth lunar month/ an early summer rain.]
The arrow struck the burning forest, and for a brief moment, a downpour extinguished the flames in that area.
However, the immense mana consumption caused cold sweat to drip from Midiam's forehead.
"…Ugh."
Still, unwilling to show weakness, she remained standing and turned back with feigned composure.
"If you're truly Aragasa, then stop setting the Emperor's land on fire and put it out! Aren't you ashamed to start a forest fire during a drought?"
"Shut up, daughter of Aether. Do you even know who you're talking to?"
"What?"
"I am a herald. You are a servant. I don't know or care who this 'Aether' is, but a mere servant like you has no right to lecture a herald."
As Calypso spoke, the servants around her smirked in satisfaction.
It was clear—they had brought Calypso along to put Midiam in her place.
Midiam had used Azadin's authority as a herald to keep them in check, and now they were using Calypso's authority as a herald to retaliate against her.
But then, Azadin stepped forward.
"My servant is trained according to my policy, Calypso. And if I recall correctly… you're one grade below me, aren't you?"
Calypso was a year younger than Azadin.
'This is just an old-school authority contest.'
Ishmael found the situation so absurd it was almost laughable.
Calypso had tried to put Midiam in her place by pulling rank as a herald, and now Azadin was using seniority to do the same to Calypso.
"True, but my rank is higher than yours."
"The herald hierarchy doesn't matter. If you really investigated, then you must also know where this woman's children are and which merchants traded them."
"…What? Are you seriously going to go through with this? That woman was a Hubris. She wasn't an Aragasa."
"But she entrusted me with a copy of the Book of the Divine King. A treasure as valuable as, if not more than, the Emperor's gold coins. To take it without honoring her request would be…"
Azadin clicked his tongue.
"My honor will not allow it."
"How amusing. The clan's biggest fool talks about honor?"
Calypso narrowed her eyes at Azadin.
"If you hand over that copy of the Book of the Divine King, I might just tell you."
"No thanks."
"Then how about we settle this with a duel?"
"A duel? Between heralds?"
"Yes. You wager the copy of the Book of the Divine King and the daughter of Aether, and I'll wager the information you want—the whereabouts of that woman's children and my rank. If you win, you take my position as 106th rank."
"And if you win? What do you mean by wagering the daughter of Aether?"
"If I win, I take the copy of the Book of the Divine King, and that bold little brat—your servant—will become mine. I'll teach her how to respect her superiors and the clan's business properly."
As Calypso spoke, the servants behind her grinned wickedly.