Indim took Azadin's warning to be cautious of the Blue Sky Order as a challenge to his own abilities.
"Hmph. That bunch of rabble?"
"Not afraid, huh? Weren't you the one who got cleaned out by the Elder Council because you let your guard down?"
"..."
Indim was struck speechless.
When the Arael's faction was on the rise, they had likely scoffed at the Elder Council and Aldis, but in the moment that mattered most, they lost the most crucial throne to them, causing the Arael's faction to become adrift.
Azadin's words pierced the heart of those who had lost most of their foundation due to overconfidence.
"What the hell are you doing here? Weren't you on the Elder Council's side?"
Aleph of Wind, having just seen off some bothersome guests with a smile, came running to Azadin and asked.
Unlike Indim, whose face was hidden behind a mask, Aleph had his face revealed. He was a handsome man with a bold, masculine face and a well-groomed beard.
On top of that, his eyes were heterochromatic—his right eye green, his left eye black—giving off a mysterious charm that drew women's attention even in these harsh times when making a living was difficult.
"I simply act according to my beliefs."
"Then hand over the pages of the Book of the Divine King you took from Demia. If you're not on the Elder Council's side, prove it."
"Seems you misunderstood me. My beliefs don't align with yours, either."
"Listen, Azadin. What I'm saying isn't a request. It's a command. Just because you're Lady Arael's younger brother…"
"I'm not whining to a superior, either, Aleph. As of now, I am the Second Rank Herald."
"Hah. The Eyeless Azadin. You, a Second Rank Herald? The Elder Council must've been feeling generous."
"I had to at least be a Second Rank Herald to preserve Demia's dignity."
Azadin reminded him of the time the Flower of Demia had been defeated by him. Aleph flared up in anger.
"You bastard. At that time, Demia had broken the harmony of Beauty of Nature due to her ritual. She wasn't at her full strength. Don't tell me you're now looking down on the Four of Beauty of Nature because of that?"
"Ah, this isn't the time for a pride fight. I was wrong. If Arael is around, let me meet her."
"Lady Arael will contact you. Withdraw for now. The Blue Sky Order scum are watching."
The Blue Sky Order had ordered Azadin's group to investigate the Arael's faction. If the two acted too familiar, it would raise suspicion.
'Feels like we've already blown that cover, though.'
Azadin thought so, but he stepped back for the time being.
***
That night, rain began to fall over Adirof, perhaps due to the rainclouds pushed in from Coral Sahar.
The tents scattered across the campsite flapped in the wind. The refugees, not having proper tents, were soaked by the rain.
Adirof, being a warm region year-round, didn't get cold even when wet, but for patients suffering from fever, the rain posed a fatal threat.
"This is bad."
Azadin was under a roof made of waterproof fabric.
Neither Azadin nor Zebeck had brought tents in their travel packs. All they had were small waterproof sheets for multipurpose use.
They managed to cobble together a makeshift roof with the sheets, but it was naturally flimsy.
If Azadin had been alone, one sheet would've sufficed, but Shati and Scott had no waterproofing at all, so they haphazardly assembled a cover, which wasn't of much help.
"Captain. If I gather muscle tissue from various creatures and use necromancy, I can support the roof. With that, a single sheet can cover a wide area like a flat plank."
"Don't. People are watching."
Azadin stopped Scott, who was trying to use necromancy for something so trivial.
Just then, a woman's voice rang out through the rain.
"Azadin. I said we'd meet in Bruma, but here we are."
"Arael…"
Azadin immediately recognized the voice. Arael had come to find him.
"So you moved by land and stopped here."
"Count Garnahair obtained the key to the Emperor's Treasury here, in Baron Adirof's territory. I figured I'd investigate on the way while escaping to Bruma."
To his surprise, Arael explained her actions. At that, her loyal subordinate Indim's flustered voice rang out.
"Lady Arael, is it alright to share information about the Emperor's Treasury with someone who might be a spy for the Elder Council?"
"No. Azadin isn't one of the Elder Council's pawns. Right?"
Arael stated it firmly.
"Well? Lady Aldis granted me the rank of Second Herald. If my patron becomes the supreme power of Aragasa, then I'll naturally enter Aragasa's core of power. So why wouldn't I be on the Elder Council's side?"
"You've got a holy knight in your party. Plus an orc and a naga. Quite the assortment."
"..."
Despite Scott and Shati using transformation magic to appear human, Arael saw through their nature effortlessly.
She appeared beneath Azadin's flimsy rain cover. Still beautiful and powerful as ever—but her eyes looked weary.
"Glad to see you're safe, Azadin."
"And since when did you worry about me? So what happened? After Lady Aldis took the throne of Korasar from you? Did even those who pledged loyalty to you abandon you?"
"Yes. I had my vision stolen from me in its entirety. It's only natural."
"Serves you right. So what now? Lady Aldis said that if I brought you back, she wouldn't kill you, and would let the matter drop. Changed your mind yet?"
When Azadin asked, Arael scoffed.
"My resolve isn't broken yet. I appreciate Aldis' generosity, but I can't suddenly throw myself under her command now. Besides, Azadin… you don't fully trust Aldis either, do you?"
"Me? Not trust Lady Aldis?"
"If you did, we wouldn't be having this meeting right now. You've seen the Elder Council's tricks, haven't you? How they make you do the dirty work, then swoop in to take the credit. That didn't raise any doubts?"
"..."
Arael's words struck at Azadin's sore spot, but Azadin stubbornly denied it.
If he suspected Aldis' goodwill, it would be like denying everything that Azadin was made of.
"The Elder Council might be like that, but Aldis wouldn't be."
"I think so too. Aldis is a being created completely pure."
"What does that mean?"
"Azadin. It might sound like an excuse, but the disgrace at Coral Sahar was a calculated move."
Arael's claim was so absurd that it took Azadin a moment to understand the meaning of her words.
Azadin was so dumbfounded that he burst out laughing.
***
"So you're saying that after preparing everything, getting it taken by Aldis was all part of the plan from the start? The way you manipulated our clan, the Arael's faction, and then had it all taken away in one blow?"
"Yeah."
"That's amazing. Did you have a steel face? How can you say something like that? Arael. Are you really claiming that you intentionally lost your vision, your policies, your foundation, all of it? I'm honestly asking—did you go mad from studying Nether magic too much?"
As Azadin asked, Indim became furious.
"Shut up, you dog of the Elder Council! The Elder Council of Aragasa is even more wicked than you think. They must never be allowed to take control of this world! Lady Arael is our only hope, and yet you dare insult her!"
"She's our hope? Is that the one who almost destroyed the Korasar Kingdom by summoning the reaper of Nether?"
Zebeck, who had been listening from the side, couldn't hold back and spoke up. Indim shot a glare at him.
"Shut up, holy knight. I could kill you right now, but I'm holding back. If you insult Lady Arael…"
"Hey, Arael. Can you get Indim to shut up?"
Azadin asked Arael, and she silently looked at Indim.
"Sorry."
Indim, looking away from Azadin as much as possible, apologized while facing Arael.
"I won't deny that what I did caused harm to the people of Hubris. But sometimes, a little drama is necessary to avoid greater harm."
"Using human lives like that on a scale is disgusting. Though I've felt disgusted by you before, so that's nothing new. So, what excuse do you have for claiming this was all expected?"
"It was to draw Aldis out. It was successful."
"No, where's the success in that result? You gathered all that power, and it was all wiped out. Plus, weren't you sincere in your efforts to gain the throne?"
"To be honest, I thought that if I could gain the throne and hold that power, it would be good. But if Aldis showed up and took the throne, that would be even better."
"So, losing the throne was ultimately a better thing for you? Are you kidding?"
"I know it's hard to understand, Azadin. But there's one more person I need to draw out from this."
"Not Aldis? Who is it?"
"Chief Hatir."
"Chief Hatir?"
"Yeah. He's the son of the Emperor and Harconia. He's Aldis's father. He disappeared suddenly five years ago."
"..."
If that were true, he would be of a much more legitimate bloodline than Aldis.
"So now, with the throne lost, what are you going to do?"
"I can't tell you everything, Azadin. But wouldn't it be unreasonable if I asked you to join our side without saying a word?"
"Are you trying to sway me?"
"Yeah. That's why I'm telling you this, so listen carefully, Azadin. Right now, we're trying to find the Emperor's Treasury. But those bastards from Blue Sky Order have control of the entrance to the Treasury."
"So?"
Arael pulled out a small ceramic vial and showed it to him.
"Put this in their food. If you make the Nether followers fall asleep, they won't be able to interfere when we approach the Treasury."
"Such an easy task? Why don't you do it yourselves?"
Putting something in their food would be something easy for Arael, a high-ranking Herald, or for the Four of Beauty of Nature. But why was she asking Azadin to do it?
"We can't. That so-called master is too sharp."
At that moment, Zebeck spoke up.
"Their bodies are already infused with powerful Nether magic. That master is probably a Nether follower too, so they would be very sensitive to the presence of followers from other factions."