Episode 179
“Why was I not summoned to the council, Your Majesty?”
The Crystal Prince, son of the Crystal Queen and brother to the wise elf, spoke with a hint of accusation.
“Your Highness!”
A few Snow Elf council members gasped in shock, while the Dark Elves maintained a tense silence.
“Allowing a mere human into our sacred council—what folly led you to such a decision?”
The Crystal Prince’s voice was sharp, and the Frost Guardians behind him exuded an intimidating presence.
“You, too, entered the council without permission, child.”
The Mountain Crone’s voice was calm, yet firm.
“This is not a matter for an old woman who cannot even execute a traitor of our kind. This is a matter for ‘our kingdom’ alone.”
The Crystal Prince continued, undeterred. His words froze the expressions of several Dark Elves, while the Mountain Crone merely smiled serenely.
“No, it’s not that we can’t execute her. We choose not to.”
“Indeed, as you say. Our elven council has decided to place the exiled Sephia under the protection of the ‘Black Prince’ at the Blue Tower.”
The Mountain Crone’s words were final.
“I cannot accept this.”
“It’s not for you to accept or reject.”
“Mother!”
At that moment, the Crystal Queen, who had been silent, spoke. The Crystal Prince raised his voice, unable to comprehend.
“How can you guarantee that the legacy of the old empire in that traitor’s heart won’t fall into the hands of the Imperial Elves?”
“There is a guarantee.”
Dale interjected.
“If you’re so worried about Lady Sephia’s grimoire falling into the wrong hands, wouldn’t it be better to return her to her homeland?”
He shrugged, as if to say she should never have been exiled in the first place.
“What does a human know of our kingdom to speak so boldly?”
The Crystal Prince’s voice was icy, as if he could freeze the air around him.
“Her actions are a disgrace to our kind and a threat to the rule of the House of Crystalia.”
“Are you not grateful that her so-called treason is the reason you’re still breathing, Your Highness?”
Dale retorted with a mocking smile, and at that moment—
Srrrng.
The Crystal Prince drew his rapier, reversing his grip to plunge the hilt into his own chest.
Thud!
The blade pierced through his heart and emerged from his back, yet no blood flowed.
“Do you expect me to be grateful for this vile curse that defies the natural order?”
Only then did the truth become clear. For elves, defying the natural order was an unforgivable sin, a stain of shame.
To those who valued honor above life, it was a scarlet letter that could never be erased.
“Ah, how convenient.”
Dale’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Since Your Highness is so desperate for death, and I happen to know someone who can grant it like no other.”
”……!”
Dale thought of his father, the Lord of Darkness and Death. The Crystal Prince swallowed hard, understanding the implication.
“Why are you hesitating?”
Dale tilted his head, feigning confusion.
“My father could grant you the ‘honorable death’ you so desire with a mere gesture.”
The ‘Black Prince’ continued, unable to hide his derision.
“Perhaps you don’t truly wish to die.”
He spoke of the truth hidden in the shadows, a truth not revealed by any supernatural insight.
Reading someone’s heart doesn’t always require otherworldly abilities.
“Your survival was never your choice, and now you’re putting on a show to prove it wasn’t.”
“How dare you…!”
The Crystal Prince withdrew the rapier from his chest, spinning the hilt as he prepared to charge. But then—
Whoosh!
“Enough, young one.”
An invisible blade of wind swept between Dale and the Crystal Prince, drawing a line of demarcation. Yet the ‘Black Prince’ remained unflinching, calm in the face of the swirling storm.
The Crystal Prince was not so composed.
He halted his charge and quickly retreated.
“For someone so eager to die, Your Highness seems quite fearful.”
“You…!”
Dale’s cold laughter echoed, and as the Crystal Prince prepared to retort—
“I said enough.”
The Mountain Crone appeared behind him, her presence unnoticed until now. Her voice was devoid of emotion, as if indulging a child’s tantrum had reached its limit.
Her sword was poised at the Crystal Prince’s neck.
“Otherwise, I shall grant you the ‘death’ you so fervently desire.”
”…Seems I won’t need to seek out my father after all.”
At that moment, a single strand of Dale’s hair was severed.
“Perhaps you could silence that mouth of yours as well.”
“Gladly.”
Dale bowed his head with a smile. In the ensuing silence, the Mountain Crone spoke again.
“Young prince of crystal, as you said, the affairs of the Crystal Kingdom are not my concern.”
The tip of her sword glowed with a blood-red aura, reminiscent of Master Baro’s.
“But this is not the Crystal Kingdom, and remember that ‘my kingdom’ is present here.”
”…Understood.”
The Lord of Sand and Desert spoke, and the Crystal Prince’s face turned pale as he nodded weakly.
Meanwhile, the Mountain Crone, who had been holding her sword to his neck, was now seated in her designated chair.
It was not merely speed; it was a mastery that matched Master Baro’s secret techniques.
In fact, she was likely the original master of that ability.
“Now, let us return to the agenda.”
Dale continued, unfazed.
“Regarding Lady Sephia’s safety, the Black Tower and Saxon will gladly vouch for her instead of the Blue Tower. Mountain Crone, would you consider withdrawing your sword from her?”
Dale asked, and the Mountain Crone chuckled with amusement.
“Very well. Crystal Queen, do you agree?”
She turned to the ruler of ice and crystal beside her, who nodded silently.
“Good. By the sacred tradition of our kind, one agenda is resolved.”
The Mountain Crone’s voice rang out, sealing an irrevocable promise, and Dale smiled quietly.
One threat to Sephia was now eliminated. But the threats to her were far from over.
The legacy of the Elven Empire within Sephia’s heart.
Dale understood the truth she held, and he had no qualms about the danger it posed. Sephia’s enemies were his enemies from the start, and to be frank, it was like having bait to lure his own foes.
The Red Tower and the Blood Heirs.
Marquis Yuris of the Blood and his kin.
Protecting Sephia from them would now be the ‘Black Prince’s’ role.
“But we have yet to address the next agenda.”
At that moment, the Mountain Crone spoke again. Alongside Sephia’s fate, there was another matter for the Elven Council to resolve.
“By ancient pact, we are the heralds of shadow, and this human child before us claims to be the ‘Lord of Shadows.’”
The Mountain Crone’s voice was solemn.
“And our Elven Council must decide if this human child is truly worthy of our allegiance as the Lord of Shadows.”
The atmosphere among the elves, who had been silent on Sephia’s matter, shifted dramatically. A palpable air of hostility and distrust filled the room.
It was inevitable. Gaining their kingdom’s loyalty would not come easily.
“Ha, the Lord of Shadows, you say!”
The Crystal Prince finally broke his silence with a derisive laugh, as if the notion was too absurd to bear.
“Do you think that boy even understands the meaning of those words?”
The Mountain Crone shrugged at his scorn.
“I believe he understands quite well.”
Her words carried significant weight.
For a ruler of one of the two Elven kingdoms to affirm Dale’s qualifications was no small matter.
Moreover, the Mountain Crone was not a queen who ruled from behind a desk.
“Esteemed Queen, I cannot agree.”
Despite understanding the gravity of her words, a Dark Elf council member spoke up.
“Even if he truly has the qualifications of a lord, he has proven nothing to us.”
“Ah, your words are also true.”
The Mountain Crone nodded with a smile.
“This human child before us has yet to prove anything.”
Many elves nodded in agreement.
And then it happened.
Blue butterflies took flight.
”……!”
Dale held his breath, understanding their significance, and the elves were no exception.
Only two remained composed: the two queens who ruled the lands of heat and crystal.
“Finally, you’ve arrived.”
“Ah, please forgive my tardiness, wise woman of the mountain.”
A voice, laced with amusement, echoed through the air. Instinctively, I understood who it belonged to—the master of deception and lies, the hidden force behind the Blue Tower.
“As one who claims the title of the Shadow’s Rider under the ancient pact, I merely wish to speak.”
“Go on.”
With those words, the Crystal Queen broke her silence and spoke.
‘Wasn’t the Crystal Queen supposed to be the master of the Blue Tower?’ Dale pondered coolly as he listened to their exchange. One more potential suspect was crossed off his list.
“The Shadow Lord has already proven much to the Empire and our Blue Tower. To demand further accomplishments from him in your kingdom seems excessively harsh.”
“What exactly are you suggesting?” the Crystal Queen inquired. The blue butterfly fluttered its wings and continued.
“The Frost of the End.”
A collective gasp rippled through the room. Yet, the hidden force behind the Blue Tower pressed on, undeterred.
“In the scarred ruins of the ancient Elven Empire, our lord will willingly prove himself.”
The ruins, where the Frost Watchers risk their lives to fulfill their duty.
“Very well.”
Dale nodded without hesitation.
“I always welcome a challenge that can prove my worth.”
The Shadow Lord spoke, his response devoid of any hesitation.