The soldiers were horrified, realizing that the bizarre member of the Herald Clan had no intention of letting them leave unscathed.
"Aaaaargh!"
A sharp scream shook their eardrums. Finally, after the last soldier was blinded and castrated, Azadin turned back to the margrave's son.
"Phew, you waited long enough, you piece of trash who does nothing but bring pain to the people."
He had single-handedly brought down twenty soldiers in full metal armor. And not by killing them, but by blinding and castrating them.
"You, you bastard!"
Kozel was trembling in fear at Azadin's actions.
"I am a noble! I'm not like the others! Do you think I'll let you do this to me without a fight?"
At that moment, a blinding flash erupted. Kozel had used magic to create an intense burst of light.
"Aaaaargh!"
"Young master!"
Even the soldiers, whose eyes had already been ruined, screamed from the overwhelming brightness. Sir Zebeck, who was aware of Kozel's magic, felt dizzy and disoriented as his vision was taken. He had closed his eyes and even shielded them with his hands, but the light pierced through, violating his eyes.
"See that? This is my magic! Proof of a noble bloodline beyond comparison to the likes of you!"
Then, shhk—something flew past. Young Master Kozel, startled, looked down at his lower body, finding his pants soaked in blood.
"Ah, aaaargh!"
Azadin's sword had slashed between Kozel's thighs, severing his manhood.
"You, you bastard! My... my..."
"Oh, excuse me."
Azadin's sword gleamed again, slicing off Kozel's nose and one of his eyes.
"Gyaaah!"
As Kozel flailed, Azadin approached and hoisted him upright.
"Aaaargh! You, you bastard... what have you done to me?"
"Hmm? Is there something wrong with your body? You don't even realize what happened to you. Maybe you have some condition where you don't feel pain?"
"You, you bastard."
Kozel shook off Azadin's grip and stumbled backward, shouting.
"W-wait!"
One eye still remained. He had to protect it. If he lost this eye, he would live the rest of his life in darkness.
"What, what do you want? Money? Women? A treasured sword? I'll give you anything! I'm a noble! A descendant of the divine king and the Yaegas clan!"
"Really? Funny coincidence—I'm a Divine King Slayer, a member of the Herald Clan. Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you."
As Azadin smiled and approached, Kozel darted his gaze around and focused on Zebeck, who was still standing.
"T-teach! What are you doing? Help me!"
"…I can't see."
Zebeck's vision was still impaired from the light Kozel had emitted. Although he could vaguely see shapes now and could probably fight if he had to, Kozel's merciless abuse of the suffering villagers weighed heavily on his mind, making him hesitant.
With this, there was no way to defeat such a monster.
"You bastard! I'm a noble! A descendant of the divine king! Why should I suffer just because of a few lowly commoners?"
"Hmm, you seem full of energy. Even with all the damage you've taken, you're still lively. That's good. Keep up that positive spirit. You're going to need it."
"Aaaaaargh!"
In the end, Kozel lost his last remaining eye.
***
Azadin of the Herald Clan hadn't killed a single person. He had only inflicted permanent damage.
Blinding them, castrating them, or cutting off their limbs so they could no longer wield power against the people—only then did he sheath his sword.
"There's no formal petitioner here, but I believe I've shown enough sincerity. The emperor's law has been fulfilled."
The emperor's law: even those of divine king blood, if they committed crimes, deserved death. With that declaration, Azadin turned away.
Behind him, the sound of a sword being drawn echoed— Zebeck had drawn his blade.
"No matter how righteous your actions..."
"Hm?"
"No matter how righteous your actions were, I am a holy knight of the king's church. I cannot overlook this. Especially when you invoke the emperor's law."
"Ah, really now."
Azadin chuckled bitterly, looking at the stubborn Zebeck.
"A rigid holy knight, huh? Not like the typical holy knights of the king's church these days."
"You dare mock me?"
"No, it's a compliment. Most of the other knights of the king's church, well, they're like scoundrels forced into the clergy to settle inheritance disputes."
"..."
Zebeck was no different. He was a second son or an illegitimate child with no land or title to inherit. Too embarrassed to claim the blood of the divine king, he had ended up here.
That's why Azadin's words stung. More than anything, the fact that this Herald Clan member seemed more knightly than anyone Zebeck had ever known filled him with shame.
"But can you chase after me in that armor?"
"What?!"
"I'm leaving now. If fate allows it, we'll meet again, Sir Zebeck!"
With those words, Azadin turned and fled. He disappeared into the night, moving too quickly for anyone to follow.
"Ugh!"
Zebeck tried to pursue him, but the blinded, castrated soldiers and Kozel's body blocked his path. Unless he was willing to trample over them, he had no choice but to stop.
"Well, he certainly gave us a thorough beating."
Unintentionally, Zebeck found himself smiling.
***'
The margrave of Salasma, Count Kazel, was the lord of the frontier city of Salasma and its surrounding villages. Recently, no rain had fallen in the area for an entire month, and many people had gathered to petition him.
"My lord, please exempt us from taxes this year."
"We beg you, the people are fleeing and becoming vagrants. The streets are filled with the dead who have become undead."
"Bandits and monsters run rampant. We are in no condition to pay taxes."
Each village chief personally made the long journey to petition for a tax exemption.
However, Count Kazel merely gazed at them indifferently with eyes as cold as polished steel.
"Tax exemption? How audacious. What's next? Are you going to ask for food aid too?"
Though his words were meant to mock them, the village chiefs instead clung to the suggestion.
"…We would be grateful if you did."
"Forgive us, but that's how desperate the situation is."
"Hah, fine. Foolish people. What can be done? It's the nature of commoners to be audacious and uncivilized—their lowly blood is to blame."
Count Kazel chuckled as he looked at them. Despite knowing his twisted personality, they dared to request food aid—an indication of how dire things had become for the people.
"If you want aid, I can grant it."
"R-really?"
"However, if you fail to fulfill my request, you'll all be hanged for failing to pay taxes."
"..."
"Relax. All I ask of you is a single sheet of paper."
"A-a sheet of paper?"
"Yes, something like a page of this grimoire."
With those words, Count Kazel spread his hand. His previously empty palm suddenly held a sheet of paper, which began to spin on its own, summoning a gust of wind as it twirled.
Seeing the paper move as if it were underwater weeds swaying in a current, the gathered petitioners were taken aback.
"A-a grimoire…"
"We don't know much about magic. We're ignorant of such things."
"No, this is something you can find. If you truly seek it, you will surely discover it. Bring me a grimoire like this, and your village will be exempt from taxes for three years, and I'll grant you 50 bushels (1 bushel = 36 liters) each of wheat, barley, and oats."
"..."
Exemption from taxes for three years was already astonishing, but the offer of grain left them even more stunned. For Count Kazel, known for his cruel nature, to offer such a generous reward was unprecedented.
That must mean the grimoire is incredibly important. But how could they find such a thing?
"E-excuse me, what is the name of this grimoire?"
"Hm? Do you think ignorant folks like you could recognize it if I told you?"
"Even if we don't recognize it, knowing the name would help us search for it."
"A copy of the Book of the Divine King."
"W-what?!"
Everyone was startled at the mention of that name.
***
On the continent of Hubris, there are eight thrones.
These thrones were brought from their homeland by the Yaegas clan, and when a rightful king sits upon one, the light of the Great Royal Mandate drives away monsters, the power of white magic purifies the world, and those loyal to the king receive the gift of holy white magic.
Additionally, a powerful grimoire is engraved into the mind of the king who sits upon the throne—this is the True Book of the Divine King, the grimoire of kings.
And now, there's a copy of it, and Count Kazel was after it.
"When the people are in misery and yearn for the Book of the Divine King, even a copy will respond to their call and reveal itself."
"..."
The village chiefs shivered as Count Kazel spoke while staring off into the distant mountains.
He didn't care if the people were suffering. He was merely exploiting their misery to find the copy of the Book of the Divine King.
"Understood. We'll return to our village and search for the copy of the Book of the Divine King with the people's help."
"Yes, we will…"
"We'll do our best."
The village chiefs, who had come seeking relief from the drought, bowed to the count and left, either shocked by his madness or driven by the hope of finding the Codex and being granted a tax exemption.
Once they left, a soft rustling came from behind the curtains of the count's residence. A large snake slithered out and, raising its body upright, transformed into a young, beautiful woman with bronze skin.
"Mentioning the Book of the Divine King by name seems reckless, Count."
"Nonsense. You witches are already busy searching for the grimoires, stirring up trouble everywhere. Rumors will spread across the continent soon enough. I just want to secure another chapter before that happens. So, what is it, witch?"
"Apologies, my lord… but it seems one of your sons has been attacked. Young master Kozel, in the eastern interior."
"Kozel?"
"Yes."
"With the forces he had, he shouldn't have been defeated so easily. Sir Zebeck was with him too. Who was the opponent? Bandits? Monsters?"
"The Herald Clan."
"The Herald Clan?"
Count Kazel furrowed his brows.
"Well, they'd be after the Book of the Divine King too. If they want to break their curse of servitude, they'll need the book."
"The fact that copies of the Book of the Divine King are circulating is their doing in the first place. From their perspective, they're just trying to reclaim what's theirs."
"Is Kozel dead?"
"Well… he's blinded and has lost his reproductive capabilities."
"Castrated, you mean?"
Count Kazel clicked his tongue.
"What will you do?"
"We'll station soldiers near Kozel's lands. We'll hunt down the member of the Herald Clan. They might even have a few copies of the Book of the Divine King with them."
"Shall I contact the commander?"
"No, not yet. Send orders to someone else. Also…"
Count Kazel grinned wickedly.
"Since one son's been castrated, it's time to make a new one."