Episode 174
“He’s human.”
Dale replied, as he removed the dark armor that enveloped his body.
“Oh?”
The old woman of the mountain smiled, seemingly amused by Dale’s response. Despite her youthful dark elf appearance, she exuded an aura that was strikingly out of place among the mountain assassins.
“So, may I ask why a human has graced the land of the elves with his presence?”
“I’ve come to transfer the contract the Blue Tower holds with you to the Black Tower.”
“There are many contracts between us and the Blue Tower. Which one do you speak of?”
“I am here to ensure the safety of Lady Sepia.”
At the mention of Sepia’s name, a tense ripple spread among the mountain assassins. Yet, the old woman remained unfazed and continued.
“Oh, so the ‘Lord of Shadows’ himself has come all this way to protect a mere puppet of the Blue Tower?”
“That was my initial intention.”
Dale nodded.
“But after witnessing another exile in the imperial city and the ‘mercy’ you extend to that child, my curiosity was piqued.”
“Curiosity, you say? Do tell.”
The old woman asked, her interest clearly piqued.
“Why do you show such cruel mercy to your own kind?”
“Well, well. I didn’t expect to hear that. Could you watch your words a bit?”
As Dale spoke, a murderous intent swirled among the assassins like a sandstorm. Even Master Baro couldn’t hide his surprise, but Dale remained undeterred.
“I’ve heard that the mountain assassins are executors of the divine will of the Shadow Goddess. But I wonder if your actions truly align with her wishes.”
“Do you claim to know what the Shadow Goddess desires?”
“That’s why the Lord of Shadows exists.”
Dale replied.
Gold and shadow. As the Black Duke once said, no one on this continent can escape the ancient fanaticism.
And as long as Dale exists as the Lord of Shadows, whether he desires it or not, he sees no reason to reject the assets given to him. Just as he uses his title as the heir of the Saxon Duchy.
“What is it that you desire?”
“I simply wish to understand why the mountain assassins, and the elves as a whole, cling to such a brutal tradition of blood and mercy.”
Dale answered.
Initially, he sought out the mountain assassins to ensure Sepia’s safety.
But when he saw the terrified young elf exile in the eastern imperial city, it was pure ‘humanity’ that drove Dale and Master Baro to act.
An altruistic act born from a simple unwillingness to turn a blind eye, without any gain or understanding.
“What could that child have done to be exiled from elven society, and why can’t she escape the blades that pursue her under the guise of mercy? I wish to hear the reason directly from the leader of the organization that executes the Shadow Goddess’s will.”
“Haha, ha!”
The old woman burst into laughter, as if she found Dale’s words absurd.
“Your meddling is so extensive, it’s almost laughable.”
“Why were Lady Sepia and that child exiled from their homeland, and why are their lives threatened by you?”
“Do not speak so recklessly before the elder, human…!”
“Enough, child. That’s enough.”
The old woman interrupted the assassin who was about to speak. At her words, the assassin quickly closed his mouth.
“We haven’t declined to the point of forgetting to show courtesy to a guest who has come all this way.”
With that, the old woman turned her back.
“Follow me, humans.”
One of the mountain assassins snapped his fingers, and a creature that had been a predator of the desert moments ago crouched before Baro and Dale.
”…Haha, surely this thing won’t drag us into a sand pit, will it?”
Master Baro asked worriedly, and the old woman replied without turning around.
“That depends on your own karma, you wretched disciple.”
“You two make quite the pair.”
Dale muttered to himself, as if it were someone else’s business.
Riding the desert beast, it was a journey that could take days and nights without rest, with no guarantee of reaching the destination.
Yet, the desert creature that carried Dale reached ‘their kingdom’ just as the morning sun dipped below the horizon.
The empire ruled by the Golden Emperor boasted of unifying the entire continent, proclaiming itself the only nation on earth.
As someone who had dedicated his life as the empire’s vanguard and hunting dog, Dale knew that this was no idle boast.
Yet, the more Dale understood the truth of this continent, the more he realized the empire’s claim was nothing but a mirage.
Beyond the northern demon lands of the Saxon Duchy lies the ‘Demon Empire’ ruled by the Eldritch.
And beyond the scorching desert lies the kingdom of the dark elves, shrouded in mystery.
Not to mention the crystalline lands of the snow elves at the southern pole.
And that’s not all.
The countless lords that make up the empire… The empire itself is ruled by beings that cannot be called human, and the ‘Anatolia Eastern Continent’ discovered by the explorer Barbarossa across the ocean is beyond words.
Thus, the empire’s claim of being the only nation on earth is merely an attempt to cover the sky with a palm.
Despite knowing this, Dale was genuinely astonished.
It was vast, too vast.
“What did you imagine, child of man?”
The old woman laughed as they overlooked their kingdom.
“Did you imagine a primitive community living in shabby tents at the edge of the continent?”
”…”
To be honest, he couldn’t entirely deny it.
But he never imagined that there would be a land claiming to be a ‘nation’ within the empire’s domain.
Even the most ambitious explorers of the empire dared not venture to the edge of the desert, yet that edge was merely the beginning of the ‘Dark Elf Kingdom.’
Centered around an oasis, a kingdom stretched endlessly beyond the horizon.
The towering fortress and cityscape that even the setting sun couldn’t obscure were no exception.
“At the edge of this desert land, we are connected to the frozen lands of the snow elves by the sea.”
The old woman spoke joyfully, as if explaining the vastness of the world to a child.
“Did you ask why exiles are banished for breaking taboos in the land of the elves?”
”…”
“Have you ever questioned why a powerful noble family in your empire is annihilated overnight, and their innocent children exiled to the wilderness?”
The old woman asked. Dale had no words.
“Is it so surprising that, amidst the struggles for gold and glory, an innocent child is exiled to a land of death?”
”…”
“Did you speak of cruel mercy, child?”
The old woman said.
“Did your empire ever consider extending such cruel mercy?”
Dale couldn’t bring himself to respond.
“When the empire subjugates countless kingdoms on the continent, and invaders ravage wives and slaughter children, did you ever think of extending such cruel mercy?”
By now, the old woman’s expression had lost all trace of amusement.
“In such a small, cramped land, do you ever reconsider the folly of believing yourself the center of the world, while falsely claiming the names of gold and shadow?”
As the dark elf in the imperial city once mocked Dale.
But the old woman didn’t execute her because her claim was wrong. It was simply because a mere soldier defied her superior’s orders.
“Haha, Master. Please, that’s enough.”
Finally, Master Baro spoke up, addressing the old woman whose voice had risen.
It was then.
Whoosh!
A whirlwind of blades erupted around the ground where Master Baro stood.
Yet, the whirlwind never touched Master Baro. The coordinates connected to the ground he stood on were not his body.
Far away, the empty air twisted under the force of the blade’s wind. It was an absurd power that seemed to warp space-time itself.
“Oh dear, Master. Your temper is as fierce as ever.”
“And your courage has shrunk to the size of an ant’s gallbladder.”
“Ah, getting older really does change everything, doesn’t it?” Master Baro chuckled, taking a step back. Among the mountain assassins, the old crone lifted her head.
“Go on, speak again. You, who dare to call yourself the child of the Shadow King.”
The young dark elf turned to Dale with a question.
“In this vast land of our kin, amidst the countless treacherous plots and political strife, the endless civil wars where blood begets more blood…”
It was almost laughable, as if the absurdity of it all was too much to bear.
“As one who claims the name of the Shadow Lord, tell us how you intend to bring eternal peace and glory to this kingdom.”
Dale found himself at a loss for words.
He was all too aware of the countless schemes unfolding in the empire, the innocent children caught in their wake. How was this any different? It wasn’t.
In fact, it was Dale who had arrogantly dismissed the elf community as nothing more than a primitive tribal society, just as the old crone had suggested.
”…”
And so, after a long silence, Dale knelt.
“I won’t ask for forgiveness for my foolishness, like a frog in a well.”
“Oh?”
“Instead, I ask for a chance. No, I dare to say…”
The old crone smiled again as Dale continued.
“Nothing will change.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean a chance to prove my worth as a ruler to you and the people of this kingdom.”
Ignoring the black blood that surged within him, the Shadow Lord spoke.