Chapter 16 - The Tooth Clan (6)

“We just want to attack the monsters! After defeating the monsters, let us catch the messenger clan person or whatever!”

“Ah! R-right!”

“Let us attack the monsters first!”

The villagers all took up their bows and started shooting arrows.

Azadin smiled bitterly as he watched the arrows fly over his head. Compared to his shooting, everyone else had worthless kills.

Some used longbows, but even those could not penetrate the flesh and simply bounced off layers of teeth. The villagers seemed to be shooting their bows to help, but Azadine wasn’t happy.

‘Just give me the arrows.’

However, he could see the people’s determination as their attacks were strictly focused on the monster. At least until they finished with the monsters, they were on his side.

It might change once the monster was defeated, but Azadine was now satisfied that they recognized him as an ally.

“Then…”

Azadine began to relax his shoulders, taking advantage of the gaps now that he had a little more time to spare and move. He stretched out his arm and loosened it while avoiding the incoming attacks.

“What are you doing! ARGHHH!”

The goblin, who claimed to be the King of Tooth, moved forward in irritation. Knowing that Azadine was slashing the edge of its tentacles before it reached, it tried to reduce the distance.

However, the closer it got, the more arrows the villagers shot. The accuracy of the attacks increased, along with the power of each arrow.

Thanks to this, Azadine found that there was time to relax his body.

“Nice. Then…”

Azadine set down the sword that was drenched in digestive liquid.

“Shall we start? I haven’t fully relaxed yet… but this much should do!”

He threw the sword that had begun to corrode onto the ground and instead picked up a fallen tooth. It was shaped like a triangular axe head and was sharp.

Picking up something resembling a shark’s tooth, Azadine threw it with a sideways swing from his relaxed shoulder.

-swish!

The teeth flew through the wind and tore through the tentacles.

Puak!

The King of Tooth was suddenly pushed into its body.

“Kuaaak!”

Its attendants struggled furiously at the sudden pain.

“This is fine! It is good enough.”

Azadine picked up the teeth he had cut down with his sword and began throwing them.

He didn’t throw it with all his power yet because his shoulder and elbow were not yet fully relaxed. Instead, he threw it using a shift of his core strength combined with precise timing. This allowed him to throw without putting too much strain on his shoulder and elbow.

The tooth, thrown from Azadine’s hand, flew sharply and gnawed at the King of Tooth.

“Kuaaak!”

The goblin head that protruded from the flesh chunk of its subordinates couldn’t stand the pain.

“Y-You! I will be the King. I was reborn as a greater being, a God, but because of just one human…”

“That’s a surprise. Coincidentally, I am a Heavenly King slayer, so…”

Azadine answered the goblin and threw another sharp tooth, splitting its head open.

Even after the goblin’s head was cut off, the King of Tooth clan members continued to live. The battle, however, was over. Azadin’s attacks were countless, and the monster’s attack couldn’t touch him.

The only thing left to do was for the goblin to do something. Still, Azadine destroyed the head as soon as it reappeared, further shortening its life span.

“N-No! King of Tooth, Karalon! NOO!”

The goblins, who were members of this clan, were willing to give themselves up to ensure the king’s survival, but it was clear that the king was dying.

In the end…

Rumble.

Large chunks of flesh and teeth began to disintegrate.

‘There are still concerns about the lesser demons, so….’

Azadine took a careful step to avoid the blood and flesh and retrieved the fallen staff.

‘I don’t know what it is, but the goblin definitely used this to find the magic book.’

If it could really identify the location of the book… then Azadine could use it as well.

‘But since this was something used by a monster, it might be a fairly common item among them. Whatever it is, I need to take this.’

Azadine turned around while holding the staff.

“Hmm.”

“Soulless blasphemer.”

The people of the village were glaring at him. Some even had already pulled their bows and arrows.

‘They lack manners. Pulling a bowstring like that means they could accidentally shoot.’

Azadine sighed. It had been possible to fight together while the monsters were there, but in the end, they would try to take him down because he was of the Messenger Clan.

Among the people, there were those who would thank and welcome him for his aid, but some would doubt him. The hunter, who seemed to be the leader, asked a question.

“What are you thinking? Why did you get… rid of the monsters?”

“They have to be the monsters he brought over!”

“Right! Wasn’t it strange? A monster suddenly made its way here!”

Some members of the Messenger Clan would act out of control. Some would think this way since the messengers were considered soulless people who did impious and horrible things to others and deserved death.

Those who lived in the countryside and weren’t properly educated were forced to follow the church’s teachings, even if they were just looted by people from the King’s Church.

“As you all know…”

Azadine raised his voice.

“I am only fulfilling my mission according to the gold coins of the Emperor. Someone made a wish using the Emperor’s Gold Coin for you people.”

“Uh?”

“Who?”

“T-they are among us?”

“I have no obligation to answer that, and I have no right to speak of it.”

Azadine ignored the bewildered people and stood in front of the gate. No arrows or stones rained on him.

“My task is done, so can I go now?”

“….”

“Or will you fight me for the King’s Church? That illegitimate son of the noble who looted you a short while ago?”

“That…”

“Do not insult our faith.”

“Right, you are faithful people. You sure are.”

Azadine yawned. He had been forced by a gold coin mission to march toward a dead village, and now he had to fight like this. Even a well-trained messenger would feel tired.

“So, I will just pass.”

“Euk?!”

One who had pulled their arrow was ready to fire, but the hunter stopped him. In the meantime, Azadine lightly moved across the gate and climbed up by touching the wall.

“Can I take some arrows?”

Azadine grabbed a handful of arrows from the quiver.

“…”

“Hmm.”

“A Devil of the Gold Coins helped us?”

“Someone among the villagers used a gold coin?”

“Who is it?”

The villagers looked at each other in suspicion. Of course, there was no such person.

‘As it is a lie.’

Azadine shrugged and jumped off the gate.

He then heard a mumble from behind him.

“… thanks.”

This came from the hunter and wasn’t heard by the others.

It seemed like he realized that Azadine had lied. Or perhaps he just wanted to show gratitude for the aid, although it was paid for.

Being part of the King’s Church meant that getting close to a messenger was punishable by death. It was very dangerous for the hunter to say this.

“Hmm, it was nothing.”

Azadine waved his hand and began to run for the road.

[What Gold Coin… you lied with a straight face,]

The Emperor’s Voice spoke to him.

“If I didn’t say that, the people wouldn’t realize it and would just continue to fear us because of the church.”

[Do you not hate them? You defeated the monsters, but what is with their attitude?]

“Well, everyone is weak. I am just fine with being able to feel some kindness when I pretend to be blind. If someone is kind to the helpless, don’t they deserve the same treatment back?”

Azadine said this as he moved away from the people.

“Ah, I am so tired, though. I feel like I could pass the gates with the blind act, but this time I took up such a difficult task.”

Azadine, who defended the Gateway to the East from the King of Tooth, ran onwards and found the boy and girl pulling the Kerim Goats.

Mediam and Ismail were returning down the path while carrying a torch when Azadine found them.

“Ah! Azadine! You came!”

Mediam greeted him with a bright smile.

“Are you fine? Are you hurt?”

“Did you two come back after waiting? You should have left.”

They were only companions for a short time. If the two of them could find Azadine, they should have been able to head back to Sanctuary without difficulty, either.

But Mediam shook her head.

“I am sad that you said that.”

“What? What is there to be sad about? What’s with the torch?”

“The people gave it to me because one of our party disappeared. It was hard to convince them that you would return, so they sent us after you.”

“They told me to take this.”

After they had explained that Azadine was separated from them and got lost on the mountain trail, they gave Mediam and Ismail a torch to find him.

“How did you do it? The people wouldn’t have let you go because you were kids.”

“Yes. Since we said that we had defeated monsters using the goats, they seemed to understand. I was worried because they are people of Hubris, but since they didn’t know that we are of the Aragasa and are young… no, because I was pretty, everyone was kind to me.”

“Huhu. Did they treat you kindly because you are pretty and not young?”

“Yes.”

Mediam pouted.

“I am not that young. I am 13. In the north, a queen is my age and married.”

“But you don’t earn gold coins, so you only needlessly waste your strength. It is true that they were kind, but that doesn’t mean you had to push yourself.”

Ismail looked as if he was about to throw up. He clearly hated the relationship between Azadine and Mediam.

“When I acted as a blind person, they helped me without expecting anything in return. That is why I ignored any potential gains and helped them. As Mediam said, helping and protecting the people is a beautiful thing. Without that, life would be pretty boring.”

“So what happened? What about the monsters? How long were you there? Did the people thank you after you defeated the monsters?”

Mediam asked this curiously. She was an arrogant member of the Ethar founding family, but she was enjoying this new world outside just like a child.

‘She can be cute sometimes. Well, children from the clan, even if they are of the founding families, grow up with too much training in Sanctuary. They are still at an age to be curious about the world.’

Azadine answered her question.

“It was one ogre and a troop of goblins? There was also one of the Kurt.”

“Huh? Someone of the Kurt?”

“You defeated a goblin of the Kurt?”

“It wasn’t that strong.”

Azadine shrugged the matter off as if it was unimportant.