When he ambushed Azadin, Aldof had full confidence in his skills and was certain of victory.
But now, he was afraid. Fear made him shrink back, and so he sought any excuse not to move.
Even though staying still in fear would only lead him straight to death, terror continued to push him toward it.
It was an irrational action, but it was also instinct.
Aldof, under the guise of chivalry, curled into despair.
"Ah, how troublesome."
Azadin, sensing Aldof's condition, casually took the azure steel sword from his hand.
"What shall we do, Nefti?"
"Kill him."
"Hmm. It's a bit of a shame to kill him just because he's timid, but I suppose it can't be helped."
Kahsan pulled his bow with a sigh of pity. But at that moment—
"Who are you people?!"
"Tsk…"
Knights and soldiers, approaching from the inner garden, stumbled upon the scene.
"Dammit!"
There were too many. If their numbers had been smaller, they would've simply killed them and continued, but there was about a full squad present, including knights—too many to eliminate in a single blow.
More importantly, to subdue Azadin easily, they'd need to use the Black Steel Arrows, but with so many soldiers present, concentrating Black Steel Arrows on Azadin would be difficult.
"Retreat!"
Zion gave up on killing Azadin and backed off.
"You, you bastards!"
"Hey! Stop right there!"
"Drop your weapons!"
The soldiers charged toward Nefti, Zion, and Kahsan, but arrows flew at them in return.
"Tch!"
Azadin leapt in, deflecting the arrows, but he couldn't protect everyone. A few soldiers were struck down, causing the others to hesitate in their pursuit, and in that gap, Zion's group made a swift escape.
"Ugh."
"Hey! You, member of the Herald Clan!"
Even though Azadin had deflected the arrows and saved the soldiers, the knights still picked a fight with him. That's when Aldof stood up.
"Enough! Can't you see he was trying to save you?!"
"What? Sir Aldof. But…"
"Cease this! He's not our enemy!"
Aldof extended his hand in support of Azadin.
"Hm. Alright, a handshake."
When Azadin took his hand, Aldof shook his head.
"Ah, right. You mean the Blue Steel Sword."
Azadin handed the azure steel sword back to Aldof.
"Herald Clan member. What's your name?"
"108th Herald of the Emperor, Azadin."
"I won't forget how you helped us today. But I hope you'll also keep what you learned today a secret."
"Which one? Nefti? Or Kahsan?"
"..."
"Both, then? Don't worry. I'm not exactly talkative."
"P-please. Please keep it a secret…"
Aldof trembled as he thought of Kahsan.
***
"Not sure what kind of trick you pulled, but Aldof has gone quiet."
Ansethus IV looked at Azadin with admiration.
"Also, I heard you dealt with the issue of the poisoned rations?"
"I didn't resolve it."
"Still, even though I didn't mention it, you handled more than I expected. I heard you even clashed with the Herald Clan members? Is that true?"
"Rather than a clash…"
Azadin pulled out the Black Steel Arrows and gave a bitter smile.
"Black Steel Arrows, is it?"
"You know of them?"
"Aren't they arrows made of black steel, capable of storing powerful magic? Sharp and heavy even as they are, but imbued with terrifying curses and mana. I've heard of them, but this is my first time seeing one up close. Looks more like an iron spike than an arrow."
"Yes. The enemy fired them freely. Thanks to that, I was injured. If I don't treat the wounds, next time we meet, I might end up dead."
As Azadin subtly emphasized his sacrifice and dedication, Ansethus IV smiled.
"Interesting. So even the Herald Clan is not unified."
"Yes. Isn't that true everywhere?"
"If Black Steel Arrows were exchanged, then it wasn't an act—you were seriously trying to kill each other. Or maybe… your reputation is so great that they thought even that wouldn't be enough to kill you?"
There was an edge to Ansethus IV's words.
He was still asking: weren't you just pretending to be enemies so you could get close?
"I'm the 108th Herald. The lowest rank."
Azadin feigned ignorance as he responded. Normally, a herald of the 108th rank wouldn't survive a confrontation involving Black Steel Arrows against higher-ranked heralds.
So he was saying: we weren't faking anything.
Ansethus IV chuckled at Azadin's shameless reply, but then his expression turned serious.
"There's an underground passage that leads to the throne of Coral Sahar."
"An underground passage?"
"It's a secret passage of the castle, and also a route to the very foundation where the throne has taken root into the earth. But it's flooded now, due to the heavy rains."
"Ah."
"If they did anything, it would've been before the rain. But I never considered that before. Even without interference, the light of the king's virtue had already begun to dim. I simply assumed I wasn't suited to be king."
"..."
"The Throne of Yaegas—it's truly a curse. They say only a rightful king can shine the light of the king's virtue to protect the world. If that light dims, isn't that just the world telling you that you're unworthy? It's frightening, pathetic, and makes me despise myself."
"Even so, you must protect it. The Divine King of Yaegas does not have the luxury of despair."
"Haha… No right to despair, is it? You're not wrong. Never thought I'd hear those words from a member of the Herald Clan."
Ansethus IV took off one of the necklaces he wore and handed it to Azadin.
"This is?"
"It's the Necklace of Underwater Breathing. A magical tool that stores mana by drawing on the wearer's vitality. You'll need it, being of the Herald Clan."
"It allows underwater breathing? What's the effective duration?"
"In my case, wearing it for a full day let me use it for about one minute the next day."
"Only one minute?"
"I wore it for a year, so it should last at least 200 minutes."
"I see. Why 200 minutes?"
"I took it off during nighttime activities."
"Ah, I see."
Azadin accepted the necklace and hung it around his neck.
"I'm giving it to you, so just take it. You Herald Clan folks will need it."
Ansethus IV repeated himself once more.
The Herald Clan's grimoire, Beauty of Nature, did not include underwater breathing magic. He was emphasizing the fact that he knew this.
"Thank you."
Azadin bowed to Ansethus IV and left the room.
***
"Captain!"
As he exited the inner citadel, an unexpected voice called out to Azadin.
It was the orc Scott McGreen and the naga Shati, waiting for him.
"Where's Sir Zebeck?"
"Over there."
Zebeck stood up as he had been sitting blankly and spotted Azadin.
"Good. I'm glad. But how did you find me?"
"Finding you was easy. Word of a bold Herald Clan member running wild in the castle has been spreading like wildfire. You were too easy to find."
"How did you survive? Did Zion Aether let you go?"
Azadin asked, as he extended the arm wounded by deflecting the Black Steel Arrows toward Shati.
"Seriously, the shamelessness."
"Please."
"Haa…"
Shati grumbled but began treating Azadin's wounds. In the meantime, Scott started recounting what had happened.
"That Herald Clan bastard who was puking on the ship came with his men and ambushed us. I was the first to get knocked out…"
"I was next. That brat Ishmael nearly broke my neck and knocked me unconscious."
From what Shati was saying, it seemed Midiam and Ishmael had been unable to defy Zion, the member of the House Aether.
"And Sir Zebeck?"
"Well… I'm ashamed to say I surrendered. They took hostages, so I couldn't even fight."
"No, you did well. No need to shed blood in a pointless fight. So where were you imprisoned?"
"In the castle dungeon."
"You mean here, in the royal palace of Coral Sahar?"
"Yes. Seems like a lot of Herald Clan members infiltrated here—they were extremely organized."
Well, that made sense… The royal capital of Coral Sahar was also home to the main headquarters of the Korasar Pedders' Guild. It was already a place the Herald Clan frequented.
"How did you escape?"
"Midiam freed us."
"Oh, so you didn't escape on your own?"
"That's correct."
Zebeck still looked embarrassed.
"No need to be ashamed. Getting captured or killed in battle is just another day in our lives."
Azadin reassured the embarrassed Zebeck and turned to Scott. If he wanted a proper rundown of events, he'd have to rely on Scott.
"She said that while she couldn't defy her House as an Aether, she still wanted us to help you."
"Hmph. That traitor."
Shati sneered at Midiam's decision.
'Now that's rich, coming from you.'
Shati, a known traitor to the Naga Tribe, calling Midiam and Ishmael traitors—Azadin couldn't help but feel incredulous. Since when had she been so loyal to his group that she got to decide who betrayed whom?
"Well, if she hadn't let us out, we'd be dead. Just being released is a favor."
Scott, surprisingly, bore no grudge.
'Not that surprising. He's oddly free of grudges.'
Azadin was impressed by how plainly Scott spoke, without any lingering bitterness.
"Glad you're alive."
They talked about Midiam freeing them as if it were nothing, but Azadin could imagine the agony Midiam must have felt.
Now that the House Aether had aligned with the Arael's Faction, Midiam, as one of them, couldn't openly oppose or betray her kin. And yet, she still freed Azadin's companions, putting herself at risk for their sake.
"Azadin. Your servant, Midiam—won't harm come to her? She'll be discovered soon, for letting us go."
Zebeck was visibly agitated, burdened by the thought that a young girl like Midiam might suffer for helping them.
For a proper Holy Knight to survive thanks to the sacrifice of someone he once opposed—it was understandable that his heart wavered.
"Well, she's the heiress of the Aether family. They wouldn't harm her just for freeing you. Still, I need to act quickly. If I stir things up enough, they won't have time to turn on each other over something like this."
"Understood. I'll actively cooperate."
"Good. Then let me fill you in on everything that's happened so far."
Azadin shared all the information he had gathered since being separated from them.
The Herald Clan, specifically the Arael's Faction, had used some unknown means to weaken the light of the king's virtue and allied with the Nagas in order to seize the throne of Coral Sahar.
Once the Nagas completely overran Coral Sahar, the Herald Clan would appear, take the throne, and use its power to drive out the Nagas.
After that, they would use the Book of the Divine King stored within the throne to lift the Curse of Service placed upon the Herald Clan.
Hearing this, Zebeck clicked his tongue.
"That's quite the tale. As a Holy Knight of the King's Church, it's unimaginable."
"The real issue is that a lot of people believe it's actually possible—and they've thrown themselves into this gamble. Arael must've shown them something to convince them."
"Ah, please don't misunderstand. I'm simply devastated at how narrow my own world has been."
Zebeck was angry at himself.
Because of the Holy Knight's code, he had once reluctantly overlooked the atrocities of Count Salasma's son, Kozel.
But now the world was changing so rapidly that clinging to the laws of the King's Church was no longer viable.
Even in this situation, the rules of the Holy Knight, etched deep into his soul since childhood, continued to bind Zebeck like chains.