Hitting one arrow's tail with another in a display of precise skill, yet unable to pick up a mere water bowl nearby.
Azadin let out a bitter chuckle as he realized how poor his condition was. In this state, he wouldn't even be able to catch a chick.
At that moment, the door opened.
"You're awake, benefactor!?"
It was a young child dressed in a maid's uniform—the very child Azadin had rescued from the bakery owner.
Seeing Azadin awake, the child let out an excited "Wah!" and ran out into the hallway, shouting. Moments later, a crowd of orphans rushed in.
"You're awake!"
"Are you feeling okay, benefactor?"
"I brought some food for you!"
The children were genuinely overjoyed at Azadin's awakening.
Unlike when they were under the bakery owner—dirty, sickly, and frail—now they looked much healthier, their clothes and bodies clean. It was clear that living as servants under Baroness Nord was a far better environment for them.
"Now, now, settle down."
Azadin gestured for the children to calm down, as they all tried to talk to him at once.
"How long was I asleep?"
"You slept the entire day."
"Ah, that explains why I'm so hungry. Oh, I get it now. Ugh."
Azadin attempted to sit up but struggled to lift himself.
"Are you alright?"
"Ah, y-yeah. I'm fine. Do you have anything like a cane?"
"A cane?"
"I'll go get one!"
The children scattered like an ebbing tide, only to return moments later like a surging wave, each holding a cane.
Azadin picked one, gripped it, and managed to stand with difficulty. He first drank some water, then went to the restroom. Even then, the children continued to trail behind him.
"Hahaha, Azadin, you're up?"
Midiam and Ishmael, who had been tending to their bows and leather armor, greeted him as they saw him being followed by the children.
"You both made it out safely."
"Thanks to you, of course."
"But could you do something about these kids first?"
"Let's call the head maid."
At Midiam's suggestion, the children flinched. Like mice in a warehouse suddenly illuminated by light, they scattered in all directions in an instant.
"Seems like they're afraid of the head maid."
Azadin chuckled at the sight.
"Have you eaten?"
"I should. Still feeling drowsy. By the way, what happened after?"
"There are rumors that the count turned into a monster."
"What about his palace?"
"After the count's death, monsters poured out, so the church has taken control of it. The church and the countess are now in a standoff over it, according to Baroness Nord."
"Hmm. And what about the Naga who fled with the copy of the Book of the Divine King? Did you pursue them?"
"We tried, but we couldn't find them. They disappeared into the crowd of refugees. And, well, I couldn't use this wand in public. Just look at it—it's made of bone. Using something like this would get me labeled as a cultist."
"Really? Then what happened when you tried using the wand again?"
"Well…."
Midiam hesitated, so Ishmael stepped in.
"The direction changed after a while. The Naga mage must have used some technique to obscure the copy of the Book of the Divine King from being tracked."
Azadin had ordered Midiam and Ishmael to track down the Naga who stole the copy of the Book of the Divine King, but they had given up midway and returned. If he had commanded them to track the thief until death, then their decision to abandon the mission could be considered disobedience deserving punishment.
Midiam had made a call on her own. Would that be alright?
"You did well. Better than putting yourselves in danger. If you had continued the chase, it would have been dangerous. The Nagashura faction is incredibly powerful. Even the count was planning to receive additional support from them."
Azadin said this, then fell into thought.
"If the countess and the church are in a power struggle, then this place has become dangerous. We need to leave. But first, we need to collect our payment, right?"
Azadin had agreed to kill the count in exchange for fifty gold coins from the countess. Of course, even without her request, he still had to infiltrate the count's mansion to retrieve the copy of the Book of the Divine King.
"A job's done, so we should get paid."
Saying so, Azadin sat down before the meal the children had prepared for him.
***
However, after eating, Azadin washed up and immediately collapsed into sleep again.
By the time he woke up, another day had passed.
"Wow, I was out for two full days like a sick man? Seriously? Then again, I guess I really am sick."
Azadin tried to rise from bed, but…
"Huh?"
He felt even worse than the day before.
"Ugh… damn it."
A short while later, Midiam entered the room and found Azadin sprawled on the bed, feebly writhing. She chuckled.
"Rest. Do you even realize what state your body is in? You're covered in bruises."
"R-really? Did you undress me to check?"
"If you showed up at Kozel's place or the countess's mansion like this, you'd be killed before you even made it past the guards—heck, even their dogs would maul you to death."
"Fair enough."
"Take your time to rest and recover. Want me to give you a massage?"
When Midiam asked, Azadin shook his head.
"No, don't."
"Why not? You need it for a faster recovery. You don't get to refuse."
Midiam forcefully began to knead Azadin's body.
"ARGH!"
Azadin screamed, but in his current state, he couldn't even muster the strength to push her away.
***
It took Azadin four full days before he could function like a proper human again.
For those four days, he did nothing but eat, bathe, and sleep, lying in bed the entire time. Even after all that rest, he still suffered from muscle pain and bruises, but considering he had battled the count to the death, it was a remarkable recovery. After all, he had toppled a bell tower and fought a monstrous Naga the size of a house—just being alive was something to be grateful for.
"Mmm."
Azadin picked up his Moon Horn Bow, checked it carefully, and strapped it to his waist.
"I wasted too much time."
"Moving around in your condition is dangerous."
"I know."
He could lament the time lost, but pushing himself while injured would have been even more reckless. The rest had been necessary. Some things had to be sacrificed.
"Well, shall we go see Kozel and the countess?"
"Are you really going to collect your payment?"
"It's not just about the money—I want to see how things are playing out."
"Why even bother? Shouldn't you be focused on meeting with the elders or the chief to have your dismissal revoked?"
"Or perhaps gathering more copies of the Book of the Divine King," Ishmael added, still reluctant to let go of the sacred texts.
"I despise my sister, but I don't deny her abilities. With her current influence and power, the Herald Clan is likely in complete turmoil—probably in a major way."
"What?"
"The elders and the chief are probably on the run. If they had remained in the Holy Land, Arael would have killed them."
"That's…."
Ishmael was visibly shaken by Azadin's words.
In the Herald Clan's hierarchy, the elders of the Elder Council and the clan chief were as untouchable as deities. Those who despised the caste system may have harbored resentment toward them, but…
Despite any ill feelings, the elders and chief possessed immense magic knowledge and overwhelming power—rebelling against them was no easy feat.
"So even if we report through the usual clan channels, there's no guarantee the chain of command is still intact. The reason Aldis went out of her way to persuade me was not just because she's my guardian, but because there's no one else capable of acting as an acting chief."
The Herald Clan's leadership had collapsed due to Arael's rebellion.
That meant trying to act within the usual hierarchy was pointless for now.
"And from now on, we might lose the financial backing of the trade firms. There could be more traitors among them, like Derick. He was supported by House Savan, yet he still betrayed them. So we need to secure funds for our future operations."
Azadin rummaged through the saddlebags attached to his goat and picked out a few weapons. He strapped two worn-out swords to his waist before leaving Baroness Nord's mansion and heading toward the Blue Rose Pavilion.
***
The streets were teeming with holy knights of the King's Church, their subordinates, and church soldiers. The atmosphere was tense. Even just walking around, Azadin could feel the friction between the regular soldiers and the church's forces.
"I need to be careful."
Staying alert, Azadin arrived at the Blue Rose Pavilion and asked one of the staff members to call for Stepbrother Beldon.
"…Lord Beldon? Hmm, understood. Would you like to wait inside?"
"Yes."
Azadin gave a nonchalant nod, but as soon as the staff moved, he immediately left the Blue Rose Pavilion.
If Beldon decided to tip off the holy knights, being inside a building would make it too easy to get surrounded.
"I'll just wait in the alley. Ugh, my joints ache."
"Shouldn't you still be resting?"
"I'd like to, but I don't have the luxury. Too much to do, too little time."
"Well, considering you're not alone, lying around for too long might not be ideal. Moving a bit might actually be good for the baby."
Midiam nodded to herself, as if she had just come to a realization.
"Hey, that's horrifying! The Curse of Service is the only thing that could do that to me. Are you wishing death upon me?"
Azadin looked horrified at her joke. Even as a joke, it wasn't funny to him.
A short while later, Beldon appeared, walking toward the Blue Rose Pavilion. Fortunately, he seemed to be coming alone, without having informed anyone else.
"How have you been?"
Azadin stepped out of the alley and swiftly moved to Beldon's side.
"Y-you're alive?"
"Sounds like you were hoping otherwise."
"N-no, that's not it. It's just…"
"Just what?"
"Did you really… do that to the count?"
"Are you seriously thinking he died of natural causes after all that?"
"Well…."
Beldon, of course, knew what had happened to the count's mansion.
The place had been utterly destroyed. The scene had been one of total devastation—countless monsters, the remnants of a brutal battle, and rumors that the count had turned into a monster and been crushed under the bell tower.
For something like that, one would assume it took an entire armed force.
Yet, this man was claiming he did it alone?
"Well, you don't have to believe me. But can you verify this?"
"...."
Beldon was speechless as Azadin revealed a ring—the count's signet ring.
"It would've been nice to grab one of his prized swords or some fancy jewelry, but he was barely dressed when I got to him, so this was all I could take."
"Good heavens. Who are you, really? There's a rumor that the Herald Clan was behind the count's death. Could it be…?"
"If it were the Herald Clan, they would have demanded Emperor's Gold Coins as payment. If you have any, I'll take those instead. They're worth far more than regular gold coins."
Azadin smirked.