The Curse of Service.
It was a contract between the Emperor and the ssenger Clan. In exchange for the Emperor providing them with all kinds of benefits and magic books, the clan would continue to provide the right type of talent to act as ssengers. The primary condition of the contract was that the whole clan would cooperate with the system made by the Emperor to their utmost limits.
However, this contract would also inflict death on any who betrayed the clan and the Emperor. Throughout the existence of the contract, only one person suffered this.
He was Azadines father, Acre the Traitor.
In an attempt to be free of the Curse of Service, the ssenger Clan participated in the war of the Tarasar Kingdom. After many sacrifices, they finally attained the Heavenly Kings Book of Truth.
However, a mber of the clan managed to steal the book and escape with it. This person was Acre. In response to his actions, the clan elders and leaders threatened him by invoking the Curse of Service.
By that point, Acre had already scattered the book into the sky from atop the Heart Mountains of the World and spread it all over the Eight Kingdoms.
Ultimately, the elders and leaders who had lost the book maintained the curse. Acre, who had given birth to twins in a male body, died from the curse and left behind the twins Azadine and Arael.
As ironic as it was, the superior twin as they grew up was Arael. She was a peerless beauty, a powerful mage, a genius swordsman, and the clans strongest ssenger.
Whereas Azadine was simply a misanthrope.
Arael was blessed in all aspects of power. At the sa ti, Azadine was incompetent, possessing skills even lesser than an average ssenger of the clan.
Everyone in the clan studied the bow at the age of 8 and would be able to make skillful shots by 12. A common skill would allow an archer to shoot down their first arrow with a second.
This showed mastery of the bow.
Azadine, however, still wet the bed until the age of 8, never mind being able to hold a bow. This wasnt very strange for the people of Hubris, but for the ssenger Clan, it was a weakness.
In the end, Azadine ranked at the bottom of the trainees in the ssenger Clan and was inevitably bullied. At the age of 12, however, he was picked up by Elder Kazas, and this marked his starting point.
Just three months ago, Azadine was appointed as a full-fledged ssenger due to the influence of Elder Kazas.
Although he had been made one due to the elders influence, it was still a distinguished position for a mber of the ssenger Clan.
Everyone within the clan struggled to beco a ssenger. The mont a child reached the age of 8, they would go through nurous selection processes where they were constantly tested and evaluated.
Azadine was eliminated during that process.
Azadine is the dullest and stupidest child of the clan.
This child couldnt even lift a bow until he turned 12, much less do the required shot.
There is no way he can perform missions like other ssengers.
He is no ssenger. Hes not even fit to be a servant.
Those who spent their childhood alongside Azadine spoke endlessly of his weakness, helplessness, and cowardice. They also complained about how unfair it was that he beca a ssenger.
In fact, parents within the ssenger Clan used his na to scare their daughters.
Keep doing that, and I will marry you to Azadine.
In other words, the entire clan saw Azadine in a negative light.
The cursed incompetent, Azadine.
This was what the clan thought of him.
Is he really incapable of using magic like the rumors? That he is cursed?
I dont know if hes actually cursed, but they say he is incapable of magic. However, Elder Kazas paid close attention to him and took him in.
Then lets see Hes the son of a traitor, right? A traitors son who is incapable of using magic. Isnt it because he is a person who only likes to deal with only one thing? His appointnt resulted in a competent person like not being able to beco a ssenger. If we ever et, we should test his skills.
Ah, dont.
The boy beca terrified at the girls words.
Why?
A servant cannot attack their ssenger.
A duel, though?
If a servant challenges a ssenger and loses, they would be punished. Your life and death will be in their hands.
Thats if I lose, right? Hehe. There is no way I could lose to soone who cant even use magic.
But Elder Kazas is notorious for being mysterious with his actions. Although he is well known among the Elders Senate, no one has ever t him in person. There is also a rumor of him being an elf, so perhaps he pushed for Azadine to beco a ssenger for a reason?
So? The elder took in and trained an idiot who couldnt lift a bow until he was 12. He then dismissed him at the beginning of the year or at the end of last year, so just how much did he train him? You think the idiot will turn into soone powerful after just 10 years of training?
That.
If that was possible, then it would be a good thing, but that wasnt realistically possible.
The ssenger Clans training thod was nearly perfect, so there were a few cases when the orders were changed at the last mont. However, if there was a shocking difference at the age of 12, then the sa skill would grow stably instead of exponentially.
At least if, by the age of 12, one didnt fall out of practice and could keep up with the others, then there was a chance to make progress.
At that mont, a bird ca over her head and landed on her shoulder. The bird was covered in a soft, translucent light that indicated it was a spirit.
A spirit that was artificially created with magic.
It could share its vision and also monitor the surrounding area. Its translucent body also ant that few, if anyone, would notice it.
Hmmm I think I found the rumored ssenger. Nice. Ismail, go hide behind the rocks with the goats.
Uh?
I will check out Azadines skills.
The girl took out her Moon Horn Bow from around her waist.
Ah, oh my. Miss Midam
The boy panicked but couldnt refuse the girls orders, so he simply hid as she instructed.
Okay then!
The girl took out two arrows from her pouch and prepared one.
There is no way it would, but I would probably be in trouble if I hit him. Should I greet him like this?
She fired one arrow high and the other at a slightly lower angle. It was the ssenger Clans two-arrow shot and could even be adjusted for a simultaneous hit on mountainous terrain.
After firing both arrows, the girl also hid behind a rock.
-Swish!
Arrows were flying at Azadine.
Euk?!
He shifted his body to the side and caught the flying arrows. Both the high and low shots were captured into his hand.
Two arrows had been shot at him.
Using the skill of the ssenger Clan as well
An arrow had hit the bottom of the wooden plant that he used but didnt penetrate through. It seed that it was an arrow with no arrowhead. Still, if it had hit, then it might have been disastrous.
Who is it?
The two who had been hiding behind a rock appeared in the open. They were a boy and a girl alongside two goats.
Hmm the rumors say that he is a half-man who could not use magic, but a ssenger is a ssenger, I guess?
The girl ca closer to him. She had bright blonde hair and a condescending attitude, but her beauty was like a fairy.
Judging from the fact that she had a Moon Horn Bow, the signature bow of the ssenger Clan, she seed to have been the person who shot the arrows.
You shot these arrows?
Yes, I sent them as a small hello. How was it? My greetings?
Ach. I-I.
The boy who followed behind her was scared, unlike the girl. He had brown hair and droopy eyes and seed to be of lower status to the girl.
Your nas?
diam of Ethar.
I am Ismail. This ti, I will be assisting you as a servant.
Whats this?
Azadine burst into laughter at the actions of this reckless pair. Being the son of a traitor who had betrayed the clan, he had been bullied by his peers since childhood, so he was used to this kind of treatnt. Yet did he ever think kids who claid to be his servants would attack him?
We want to point out that we took off the arrowheads. Arent we thoughtful?
The girl used her words to boldly defend her actions.
Theres no way a ssenger could die from an arrow with no head that was shot from such a distance, right? If you did, you wouldnt be qualified to be a ssenger, right?
Are you smiling?
Azadines expression beca stiff.
Even though the arrows had no head, it was still a surprise attack. He had felt keenly in the past how much he was despised by the clan, but he wasnt soone who would stay silent after being insulted by a child.
First, diam, apologize for the rudeness. Otherwise, there will be no conversation.
You wont talk? But.
Azadine was about to ask again. diam was trying to speak but realized Azadine was not joking. The girl proceeded to apologize.
diam of Ethar apologizes for the rudeness, ssenger Azadine. I am Aragasa.
Within the Contract of Service, all of the Aragasa were one.
The tribe would treat its fellows as an ally, not an enemy.
Good, I accept your apology. However, do not recklessly use a weapon at anyone from now on. If I had decided to fight back, my arrows would have co for you, get it? Do not use your weapon if you dont plan to kill.
Yes.
Azadines warning rang true. Within the ssenger Clan, it was common to harass soone by removing the head from an arrow. In a way, it was similar to bullying soone to show their worth.
However, once an arrow flew in other places, it was no different from saying that you wished to kill one another. This girl wasnt a fool, so she imdiately understood Azadines point.
By the way, do you have water?
He showed clear signs of dehydration and felt dizzy because he had moved swiftly to deal with the arrows.
Ah, yes. H-here.
Ismail dismounted from his goat, took out his water can, and handed it to Azadine. Azadine then took the can and brought it to his mouth.
He carefully held the water in his mouth to let his body get used to it. That alone restored so life to him.
Looks like your throat hurts.
Hmm.
The boy and girl waited for an answer while Azadine drank his water. He drank the water slowly to avoid hurting his body and sat down.
So different from the rumors.
diam felt embarrassed.
Azadine the Cursed was an object of ridicule among the ssengers. The only ti a ssenger who was known to lack a sense of humor had laughed was due to a joke made about Azadine.
However, she had co this far. She couldnt turn back now.
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