"There are a lot of refugees around here. If there are so many mosquitoes, epidemics will surely spread."
"That's right. That's why things are so difficult right now."
The scribe said this and then asked Azadin,
"Brother, what is your name?"
"I'm Adan."
Azadin gave a false name.
The Herald Clan, the Aragasa, are mixed with the blood of the Hubris people, so they have various kinds of names. However, in Azadin's case, his name came from a very old Aragasa cultural tradition, so to hide his roots, he chose to use an alias.
"Brother Adan, as you can see, everyone is struggling right now. In this chaos, our Blue Sky Order is protecting refugees and fighting off bandits and monsters."
Due to the refugees' poor conditions, Bruma's endemic diseases like malaria, dysentery, and fevers were spreading among them.
Among these refugees, Brumans wearing Blue Sky Orders were walking around, distributing something.
"Here! It's medicine from the Blue Sky Order! A blessing from the Sky Lord—whether it's malaria, dysentery, or any disease, just take this and you'll be healed!"
Azadin flinched at those words.
According to the pharmacology passed down among heralds, the only medicine that works for every disease is narcotics. Only powerful painkillers can relieve the pain of illness, but they do not cure the illness itself.
'Is it a narcotic? But the mana feels faint?'
[It's nether magic.]
The Emperor's Voice answered in his stead.
'Nether magic?'
[That's the power I sense in that concoction. Not only that, I can feel the presence of nether energy in a large number of people nearby. They've likely taken the medicine.]
The Emperor's Voice gave a warning.
[In times of chaos, false prophets swarm. Be cautious. Taking the medicine won't immediately cause addiction, but don't accept nether magic so easily.]
'This is a serious problem.'
At that moment, the scribe leading the way stopped walking.
"We're here. Brother Adan, from this point on, you should be careful with your words."
"Are we meeting the cult leader?"
"The cult leader isn't here, but the master in charge of proselytizing in Adirof is."
"The master…"
"Leave your weapons behind."
"Understood."
Azadin unstrapped his weapons and headed into the audience hall.
***
Though they called it an audience hall, it was just a few large tents set up like a field military camp.
But since it stood in front of Baron Adirof's castle, it showed how closely the acting baron of Adirof was working with the Blue Sky Order.
"This place…"
"The acting baron has taken a deep interest in our Blue Sky Order's teachings."
The members of the Blue Sky Order boasted proudly, but Azadin let out a bitter smile.
'Well, no matter how much of a cult you are, you've taken root in this area. No reason for the acting baron to mess with your mood. He's just an administrator anyway. He's not about to risk his life going against you.'
The master was a noble-looking person in their twenties, who, based on appearance alone, seemed more like a scholar or a merchant. Their features were androgynous—enough to make one wonder if they were a woman dressed as a man.
"First, remove your helmet. Won't you show me your face? One cannot judge a man's nature while he hides behind a helmet."
"Forgive me. I merely hid it because it's a hideous sight."
As Azadin spoke and removed his helmet, the master and the surrounding Blue Sky Order members recoiled in shock.
"Uh?"
"Y-your eyes?"
"Amazing. Are you blind? Then how…"
"I'm replacing my vision with magic."
"Ah, so you're a mage. Remarkable. I'd heard your skills were impressive, but I never imagined you were a mage. How is it that a mage travels with a holy knight?"
"That holy knight recently became deeply conflicted due to the strange occurrences all across the Kingdom of Korasar. On top of that, he had a falling out with his superior and was expelled from the church."
"Ah, I see."
When they heard about the fallout with his superior, everyone seemed to understand.
"In that case, would you grant me the teachings of the Blue Sky Order? What do you follow, and what is your goal?"
"Before that…"
The master spoke, looking slightly embarrassed.
"As you can see, the people here are sick and starving—it's a difficult time. You've come seeking the teachings, but salvation through the Blue Sky Order is not something one gains alone. Wouldn't a world where we help the people, and the people help us, be the very world the Sky Lord desires? So… I was hoping you could make a small donation."
"Ah, yes. Will money do?"
"Of course. With it, we can procure medicine and food, which would be a great help."
"Hmm, understood."
If they'd just asked for money, it might've felt like robbery. But since they were using the suffering of the people as an excuse, Azadin willingly gave money.
He placed down about three gold coins, and the master of the Blue Sky Order expressed admiration.
"That's quite a sum. Thank you, brother. I shall recognize you as a member of the Blue Sky Order. The initiation ceremony will be next week, so for now, you'll be a provisional member. Let me give you this."
"This is…"
Azadin accepted a blue cloth. It gave off a bitter smell.
"It's been lightly dyed using the fruit of a tree. Since it's not a proper dye, be careful—it'll wash out with water."
"Then, please grant me the teachings. Who is the Sky Lord?"
"The Sky Lord is our religious leader. He was once a merchant from Bruma, but one day he survived a lightning strike and became enlightened to the heavenly truths."
"Lightning… and heavenly truths, you say?"
"That's right. So he donned the Blue Sky Order and began gathering people in preparation for the Era of Jupiter, bestowing grace upon those suffering from plague. We spread his teachings and deliver the Sky Lord's voice to the people."
"I see. I'm even more eager to learn about the Sky Lord now."
Azadin wasn't being sarcastic.
With the Era of Jupiter approaching, this cult was spreading its influence using nether magic.
As a herald, entrusted by the Emperor to protect the people's lives—and even just as a man named Azadin—he couldn't ignore it.
"To meet the Sky Lord directly, one must be devoted to the Blue Sky Order."
"Of course."
"By the way… is the holy knight traveling with you trustworthy?"
"Didn't I already tell you? He's been excommunicated from the church."
"Yes, I know. But many clergy and holy knights of the King's Church are high-ranking nobles. Even after being excommunicated, many refuse to swear loyalty to the Blue Sky Order, saying they cannot go that far—even with Korasar facing divine punishment, they can't accept the veil."
To the Blue Sky Order members, Zebeck was a potential threat who could cause trouble at any moment.
This particular master seemed to be a moderate type—speaking with some restraint. But the more radical ones were probably itching to kill him.
"Hmm. Thank you for your concern. I'll speak with him."
"Be careful. Ah, and there's something I wanted to ask you, since I heard you're quite capable."
"A request?"
"Yes. Truth be told, there's a group that approached us before you did. We accepted them after receiving some donations for the sake of saving the people, but… I'm quite sure they're spies."
"Spies?"
"That's right. We treat malaria and save people by the grace of the Sky Lord, by His miracle, but they seem to think it's some kind of witchcraft and are trying to uncover our secrets."
Azadin felt a pang of guilt upon hearing that.
He, too, thought it was witchcraft and had come to dig into it. Were there others who shared his suspicion and had arrived first?
"Could you investigate them for us? See if they're from the King's Church, or some other group."
"You want me to do it?"
"Yes. Those from the church are more likely to get caught, you see. Think of it as your initiation."
"…Alright. Understood."
Though reluctant, Azadin accepted the master's request.
***
As Azadin returned to his group, Scott waved at him.
"How'd it go, Captain?"
Scott, Zebeck, and Shati had stayed behind while Azadin met the master. Looking around, Azadin leaned in and whispered to Scott.
"I got shaken down."
"…Eh?!"
"That, and something else that's not so simple."
Azadin explained the investigation request the master had made.
"Wow, so when someone else shows up, they'll probably be told to investigate us next."
"Right?"
"What are you going to do, Azadin? Are you going through with it?"
Shati asked curiously.
"Hmm. First, I'll have to meet the people we're supposed to investigate. I don't know if they're from the King's Church or some new group… I need to talk to them first."
"What if we just leave this place alone and go straight to Bruma to meet Arael?"
Zebeck suggested unexpectedly, surprising Azadin.
"They're spreading a cult here."
"Calling it a cult just because they collect donations and mistreat a few civilians seems excessive. Even the King's Church and the Knights of Salvation have done as much. Besides, they are actually curing malaria and dysentery."
Zebeck replied with an oddly sharp tone.
Malaria and dysentery were usually seen as death sentences—horrific illnesses.
Yet here, these so-called cultists were healing people and winning their favor. It was enough to shake Zebeck's convictions.
The so-called righteous King's Church had grown weak in its healing magic, choosing who to save based on status and wealth—and leaving most people to die. Its teachings were no better than those of a cult.
And after witnessing Dimia's clean and effective restoration magic, his inner conflict had only deepened.
"Even so, I'm going to investigate the Blue Sky Order. Since this religion originated in Bruma, and we'll need to head there eventually, I think it's best to define our relationship with them now."
Saying that, Azadin asked a nearby Blue Sky Order soldier about the group he was supposed to investigate.
***
The place the Blue Sky Order soldiers directed him to was the baggage cart of a traveling troupe.
On top of the four-horse carriage, two dancers were performing, smiling as they drew the attention of the crowd. Around them, potion vendors and trinket peddlers were hawking their wares.
But one of the dancing girls looked familiar to Azadin.
"…That's Zenith and Dimia."
Dimia of the Flowers, and her younger sister Zenith, had become traveling dancers and were now putting on a show.
And below, selling goods, were Seraph of the Bird and Aleph of the Wind. The coachman was Indim of the Moon.
The Four of Beauty of Nature.
The strongest heralds of their generation from the Herald Clan, these four had disguised themselves as traveling merchants and slipped into the Blue Sky Order.
'Now that I think about it, those guys must've escaped Coral Sahar by land.'
Azadin's group had left later, but by hitching a ride with the Nagas, they had arrived in Adirof at roughly the same time.
That meant there was a high chance Arael was somewhere nearby.
"Well, this is convenient. Looks like I'll get to meet her without having to go all the way to Bruma."
Just as Azadin said this, Indim, disguised as the coachman, approached him. Covered head-to-toe in a black robe and wearing a leather mask over his face, Indim looked suspicious no matter who saw him.
"Azadin…"
"It's Adan, for now. Be careful—there are Blue Sky Order people watching."