"Wow, that was incredible. What did I just witness?!"
Midiam was astonished by the scene before her. A monster the size of a house—no, a Naga, a member of the ruler race that had once dominated humanity—had been taken down by Azadin, who, despite being the Emperor's Herald, could not even use magic.
"Perhaps he…"
Ishmael, who had been maintaining foresight magic, had witnessed what Azadin had done from the top of the bell tower. Azadin had tied the bell rope to the lower rafters inside the tower—the part that supported the weight of the bell tower—and then yanked it free.
Having deliberately caused the collapse of the bell tower, Azadin had dashed through the crumbling structure and reached the rooftop. There, he used the broken, sharpened rafters, pulling them with the rope, and hurled himself toward the Count, striking his head and impaling him with the jagged timber.
With the rafter piercing his skull and the immense shock incapacitating him, the Count had been unable to escape, ultimately being buried beneath the collapsing tower.
"..."
"We, we can't just stand here! We have to go rescue them!"
Midiam ran toward the collapsed bell tower, where Azadin and the Count had been entangled in the wreckage.
***
"Graaagh!"
The Count coughed up blood. Life was draining from his body. The power he had received from the Kurt Divine Clan was also seeping away.
"Guh… What is this…?!"
"Huff… Huff…"
Azadin slowly pushed himself up. He had lunged at the Count while leaping from the collapsing bell tower, but now, as he closed his lips, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"This is my victory, Count Kazel."
Count Kazel was dying. His body was gradually shrinking, reverting to his human form. However, the wounds he had sustained remained, ensuring his inevitable demise even in his restored state.
"You have won, Herald. Unbelievable. To think that you could defeat a follower of the Kurt Divine Clan like this…"
"…Why did you do it?"
Azadin asked the Count. It was an odd question.
"Why? As I said, for ambition. But…"
"Most corrupt nobles succumb to indulgence in pleasure and extravagance. They don't reach out to the Kurt Divine Clan because of mere ambition. Why did you?"
Azadin found the Count's actions strange. No one craved power without reason. Even someone like Arael, who sought to become a tyrant, had her reasons—she was the daughter of a traitor from the Herald Clan, and she had to display strength to survive in a world that would otherwise devour her.
Then why had the Count, a descendant of the Yaegas Clan, allied himself with the Nagas?
"…Because I despaired."
"Despaired?"
"Yes. This world is empty and doomed to destruction. Just as those doomsayers in the marketplace proclaim, perhaps the Era of Jupiter is indeed approaching… The blood of the Yaegas Clan is thinning, and the light of the king's virtue is fading."
"..."
"But what does it matter? In the end, it's all just a pathetic excuse. Hahaha."
"The copy of the Book of the Divine King—where is it?"
"The one I had… I gave it to my lovers. By now, their apostle is likely carrying it to the Nagas' den."
"..."
"Guh…."
The Count's breathing grew more labored. As his body continued to shrink, the arrow and the massive rafter that Azadin had embedded in him created a gaping wound.
With his skull split open and his brain matter spilling out, the Count could no longer speak. His life came to an end.
Dragging his battered body, Azadin approached the wreckage of the fallen bell tower and pried the signet ring from the Count's corpse.
This signet ring, symbolizing the authority of a lord, served as an official seal for decrees. It would be undeniable proof that Azadin had slain the Count.
'The assassination contract no longer matters at this point… but this will be useful.'
Azadin pocketed the Count's signet ring and turned away.
At the entrance to the Count's palace, the soldiers and knights who had fled in fear were now engaged in battle with the unrestrained mummy soldiers. Ishmael and Midiam approached Azadin.
"We should use this chance to escape."
"You're not suggesting that we save them, are you?"
"Of course not. Midiam, Ishmael, thank you."
"Huh?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Attending to the Herald is a servant's duty, after all."
"No, you've done more than your duty. I truly appreciate it."
Azadin sincerely expressed his gratitude to the two before heading toward the collapsed rear annex with them.
"Uh… Are we escaping this way?"
"We need to go underground and complete the investigation."
"What if there are still mummy soldiers left?"
"They were crushed in the collapse, so it should be fine. But… ugh."
Azadin groaned. His entire body was in shambles.
"Ugh… Let's go down carefully."
"Yes!"
Azadin and Midiam secured a rope, tied it firmly, and descended into the underground passage.
***
As they reentered the underground passage, it was just as Azadin had predicted—massive chunks of rock had fallen, crushing many of the mummy soldiers.
"Ishmael, this wand…"
"Oh, yes!"
Ishmael grasped the bone wand and cast a spell. As expected, it revealed that a copy of the Book of the Divine King was nearby.
Following the indication, Azadin found the crushed corpse of a Naga woman beneath the rubble.
"A copy of the Book of the Divine King…"
When he extended the bracelet he had received from Aldis, two pages of the Book of the Divine King flowed into him.
"The other three pages?"
"They're over there."
Ishmael, holding the wand that still glowed with magic light, pointed toward a tightly shut iron door. Midiam approached and found that the door's locking mechanism had been released. He also noticed blood smeared on the handle.
"One of them escaped alive. That's a problem."
Azadin pushed open the iron door and took a step forward, but soon he began to limp.
"Ugh…."
As the excitement of battle faded and the adrenaline dissipated, Azadin's body began demanding payment for its prolonged abuse.
"Ugh…"
Unable to continue the chase, Azadin collapsed to his knees.
"Shall we pursue them?"
"P-please, you two go together."
Azadin requested Ishmael and Midiam to chase after the Naga who had fled with the Book of the Divine King, then he slumped onto the ground.
"Ugh…"
Azadin lost consciousness and fainted on the spot.
***
Midiam and Ishmael moved through the underground passage, scanning their surroundings. However, even after reaching the dried-up riverbank and the refugee camp teeming with displaced people, they found no trace of the Naga.
The Naga mage had already transformed into human form and escaped.
"We can't use the wand in front of people."
Ishmael hid the bone wand. Such an ominous-looking magic artifact would immediately draw the attention of the clergy and Holy Knights of the King's Church if used in public.
"So this is as far as we go. Asking around is…"
Since both Midiam and Ishmael were children, wandering around a refugee camp at night would only invite unnecessary trouble. More than that, they were concerned about Azadin.
"Let's go back."
"Can we really just give up so easily? The copy of the Book of the Divine King is in their hands, and they're wounded. The enemy…"
Ishmael struggled to let go of the Book of the Divine King. As a member of the Herald Clan, he understood the significance of the book. It was the collective hope of their people, the key to breaking the Curse of Service that bound their clan.
To let such an opportunity slip away before their very eyes…
"More than that, it's better to protect Azadin safely. Let's hurry back to guard him."
Unlike a typical member of the Herald Clan, Midiam quickly abandoned the pursuit of the book and turned back toward Azadin. With Midiam taking the lead, Ishmael had no choice but to follow.
***
The undead soldiers and mummy warriors created by the Count had lost control and were rampaging, battling the soldiers and knights who had once guarded the Count's palace.
Because these mummies radiated an aura of curses, ordinary soldiers and knights suffered heavy casualties. Furthermore, with the Count gone, it was unclear who held command, adding to the chaos.
At that moment, a knight rode in from the southern gate.
"I am Zebeck, Holy Knight of the King's Church!"
Zebeck declared his presence and cast a spell from atop his horse. A radiant halo gleamed above his head before spreading outward, repelling the undead's aura of curses.
"Ah?!"
"S-Sir Zebeck!"
"A Holy Knight!"
"Whoa!"
With Zebeck's arrival, the soldiers erupted in cheers. He charged forward, cutting down the mummy soldiers and breaking the deadlock, rescuing the embattled soldiers.
"Th-thank you."
"Now, what's the situation? According to the rumors…"
"Yes! A giant snake! It suddenly appeared from the rear annex…"
"The rear annex?"
"Yes, the place where the Count resided."
"These monsters also emerged from there!"
"And the giant snake?"
"They say it was buried under the collapsed bell tower!"
"Hmm, I see."
Zebeck clicked his tongue at the report. For monsters to suddenly pour out from the Count's residence… Along with the rumors of mysterious witches infiltrating the palace, it was becoming clear that this was the Count's doing.
'In that case, I need to assume command from the Count. But am I even in a position to do so?'
The knights and officers appointed by the Count could very well be in league with him. As Zebeck hesitated, unsure of what to do, the soldiers and knights instead pleaded with him.
"S-Sir Zebeck!"
"Please take command!"
"Understood! I may be lacking, but I will lend my strength!"
Leading the soldiers and knights, Zebeck first took care of the monsters that had infiltrated the servants' quarters. He then instructed the rescued servants to use furniture and supplies to barricade the streets, preventing the creatures from escaping into the city.
Afterward, he made his way to the collapsed bell tower and…
"Hmm."
He found the Count's corpse crushed beneath the rubble.
"T-this is…"
"For now, refrain from any reckless actions. Recovering the body comes after we've confirmed how many monsters remain."
Zebeck ordered the shocked soldiers to keep quiet and assigned a few trustworthy knights to guard the Count's remains while the others continued eliminating the remaining creatures.
As dawn broke, most of the monsters perished under the radiance of the king's virtue and the light of the sun.
***
"So, what you're saying is…"
Bishop of Salasma, William, clicked his tongue as he listened to Zebeck's report.
"The Count was actually a Naga?"
"Based on witness testimonies, it appears so. He was not always a Naga, but after meeting with those witches…"
"So, what you're implying is that I, the bishop who oversaw the Count's rule, was incompetent and blind as a bat? Is that it?"
"N-no, that's not what I meant…"
Zebeck quickly lowered his head.
Having fought the mummy soldiers throughout the night to rescue soldiers and servants, Zebeck was as exhausted as a waterlogged sponge. Yet, he maintained proper decorum in front of the bishop. However, the bishop only looked down on him with a disdainful expression.
'But it's true, isn't it? So what's the issue?'
The clergy and Holy Knights standing around the bishop shared similar thoughts.
'The bishop is incompetent and blind as a bat.'
'At least he's self-aware sometimes.'
Though they all agreed in their hearts, none dared to say it aloud. They could only look at Zebeck with silent pity.