Episode 189
A fusion of the fifth circle, the Book of the Black Goat merged with his heart, and the body born from that dark power. The chilling aura of the apocalypse residing within that darkness.
A foreign concept, the heat engine, capable of amplifying the circle’s efficiency nearly tenfold with its crimson magic.
A shadowy cloak perfectly synchronized with his body through the medium of a shadow prosthetic.
The avatar of the Shadow Lord and the Eye of Truth. Armor of black and blue forged from ancient darkness and the frost of the end.
He calmly assessed his current abilities. After doing so, the Shadow Lord raised his head.
He looked towards the suspicious gathering around the table, all wearing the mask of The Laughing Man.
“I’m intrigued by this ritual of demon descent you speak of.”
“Oh, I thought you might be.”
“Is it to be held here at the White Castle?”
“Fortuitously, the preparations were completed just as you arrived, my lord.”
“Is that so.”
The man smiled, and Dale responded.
“But participating in the ritual would mean joining your organization, wouldn’t it?”
“Indeed, that’s correct.”
“Then remove your masks.”
”……!”
“Just as you’ve seen my face and identity, it’s only fair you show me yours.”
There was a moment of tense silence.
“Wouldn’t that be fair?”
“Ah, that’s not a difficult request.”
The man replied.
“But, Black Prince, once you see our faces, there’s no turning back.”
“From the moment I set foot in this castle, there was no turning back.”
At that moment—
“Ah, pardon me for interrupting, but what about us?”
“They are my swords. Swords have no eyes.”
The Shadow Lord spoke as if there was nothing to worry about.
It was also a declaration that he would not withdraw his living sword and Lady Shadow in front of the Assembly.
“As you wish, my lord.”
With those words, one of the men removed his mask.
But behind the mask, there was nothing.
”……!”
A literal faceless ghost stood there, a smooth mass of flesh without any features.
At the same time, the mask in his hand grinned, its crescent-shaped mouth stretching even wider.
“What are you?”
Dale asked coldly, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword, sensing something amiss.
“Regrettably, I’ve forgotten what I am.”
The man replied.
“But everyone calls me ‘Gentleman.’ So that’s how I must answer your question, my lord.”
Dale let out a small laugh at the absurdity of it. The other members also removed their masks.
Unlike the one who called himself ‘Gentleman,’ they all had ordinary human features.
Among them were influential figures of the Empire, including Lady Scarlet, whom Dale recognized. Nobles who wouldn’t hesitate to dabble in forbidden matters out of sheer boredom and excess wealth.
Count Wallachia and Gilles de Rais also removed their masks. Dale recognized their faces, and Aurelia would never forget them. Yet, the devout knight of the past was nowhere to be seen.
And he could never imagine the presence of the former saint clad in black armor.
That was Dale’s trump card.
”…….”
“With this, the Black Prince has willingly become one of us. Soon, you will witness the ritual of demon descent here.”
Dale remained silent as the Gentleman placed his mask back over his featureless face.
The crescent grin of The Laughing Man’s mask seemed even more ominous.
“Now, the night is deep. Please, rest well tonight.”
Count Wallachia said, donning his mask once more.
“Gladly.”
The moonlight at dawn was eerily pale. It felt like staying in a vampire’s mansion from a ghost story. In fact, it might as well be true. Dale thought of Lady Scarlet’s fangs as he gazed out the window.
In the high tower of the castle, a luxurious bed was prepared for Dale. At his request, accommodations were also made for the two knights to stay with him.
“Lady Shadow.”
There, Dale spoke to his knight clad in black armor.
“Yes, my lord?”
“What do you wish to do?”
Dale asked.
“It’s obvious they haven’t truly accepted us as allies. More likely, we’re the final key to their ‘sacrifice.’”
“Haha, only a fool would trust them.”
Master Baro laughed as if it were someone else’s problem.
“If necessary, we can signal the Grave Walkers waiting in the count’s territory to move.”
He didn’t care what they thought of him. But from their perspective, they likely saw Dale as prey caught in their web.
In reality, it was the opposite.
The Shadow Lord hadn’t come to Count Wallachia’s territory unprepared.
Assassins of the mountain, high-ranking operatives of the grand court, and trusted masters of stealth were already awaiting the Shadow Lord’s command.
“I am your sword wielded from the shadows. Thinking is not my role.”
Lady Shadow replied calmly. Dale smiled wryly at her words.
“No, I told you, Lady Aurelia, you must think.”
”…….”
“That man once claimed to be your knight. Do you wish for me to deal with him without a word?”
“Are you pitying me now? You, the conqueror who slaughtered and trampled my country’s army.”
Aurelia retorted with a mocking tone.
“I chose to become your puppet and shadow sword of my own will. Solely for the revenge of the Empire, just as you trampled my country.”
“The Empire will fall by my hand.”
Dale said.
“And afterward, Lady Aurelia, you shall have ‘your kingdom.’”
“Oh, my.”
Master Baro gasped in surprise.
“Could I have a kingdom too?”
“Shut up, you fool.”
Dale snapped, and Aurelia, hidden in her black armor, remained silent.
“I’m merely asking what you wish to do with the man who claimed to be your knight.”
Silence followed.
”…….”
After a pause, Aurelia spoke.
“He is no longer the knight I once knew.”
Her voice wavered slightly, but her decision was firm.
“Please, do as you see fit.”
”……Understood.”
Dale nodded quietly. Silence fell once more.
The quiet was broken by an unexpected sound.
“Oh, someone’s running down the hallway.”
Master Baro murmured, leaning against the wall.
Soon, footsteps approached, followed by a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
Dale said, and a maid entered, her expression dazed.
“Do you have something to say?”
──At the same time, a blue butterfly fluttered behind her.
It wasn’t the usual frozen wasteland where the Sorceress Council convened.
Instead, it was a dim, web-filled room. Blue butterflies clung to the webs everywhere.
“The Blue Veil.”
After surveying the room, he spoke to the leader of the Sorceress Council, the master of deception and lies, the pinnacle of the blue tower.
“Welcome, Shadow Lord. We’ve been expecting you.”
“Have you been watching what I’m doing and where?”
“One of our blue agents within the Assembly has been whispering secrets.”
“An impressive network.”
“The blue web is everywhere and nowhere.”
Dale muttered as if it were someone else’s concern, and a voice from the web spoke again.
“Aren’t you afraid of them?”
“Do I look like a butterfly caught in their web?”
The Shadow Lord asked in return, and the voice from the web laughed with delight.
“Beware of the Gentleman.”
The voice warned, and Dale nodded.
“And as I mentioned, we of the blue are willing to serve as the Shadow Lord’s knights.”
“As webs that are everywhere and nowhere, I suppose.”
“Oh, not at all. We are always by the Shadow Lord’s side.”
The Blue Veil spoke with amusement, and Dale frowned at the implication.
“Now, please, carry out your will.”
“No, not yet.”
Just then, as the vision began to fade, Dale reached out to stop her words.
“Blue Veil, as my knight of shadows, reveal yourself to me.”
“Such bold words in a lady’s chamber.”
“You called me here.”
With those words, a spider’s legs emerged from the web, revealing a form. At first, it seemed like a giant spider. But it wasn’t.
Attached to the spider’s body was the upper half of an enchantingly beautiful woman. Her crystal-like hair flowed over her chest in the darkness.
“The Lord of Lies and Deception, the Blue Tower Master, humbly greets the Shadow Lord.”
The Empire is not ruled by humans. Nor are the enemies of the Empire’s golden ruler human.
He was all too aware of that fact. It was nothing to be surprised about, and the Shadow Lord smiled quietly.
“I accept your loyalty.”
“Are you awake?”
When the infamous “Black Prince” of Saxen called the maid’s name, she shuddered, recalling the hellish scenes unfolding in this domain. It was then she realized her time had come.
She had no idea why she was here. The monsters of this castle were beyond her comprehension.
“Oh, oh no…”
The maid, on the verge of tears like a child, was a girl around Dale’s age. She trembled, paralyzed by fear.
“There’s no need to worry.”
Dale spoke gently to the terrified maid.
“Just tell me what you know.”
“R-really…?”
She couldn’t believe it. Lulling someone into a false sense of security only to plunge them into deeper despair was their favorite tactic. Even knowing this, those left in this domain had no choice but to endure it.
So the maid spoke. She recounted the hell that had descended upon them since Gilles de Rais, the new Count of Wallachia, arrived. She spoke of the gathering of monsters allied with the Count and the demon they spoke of.
“I see.”
Dale nodded quietly.
“Are you really going to help me…?”
“I will help you.”
The maid, still trembling with fear, asked repeatedly, and Dale nodded each time.
“It seems we can’t wait much longer.”
“Ha, you call that a statement?”
Master Baro chuckled, and Lady Shadow adjusted her grip on her sword. The maid’s face turned pale.
“We mean you no harm.”
But Aurelia shook her head reassuringly.
“We’re here to punish evil and protect the weak.”
With the same compassion she had shown as a champion of the nation. It was at that moment.
A sinister aura swept through the area, and screams echoed from afar.
It was a wail that seemed not of this world.
Upon hearing it, the Shadow Lord spoke.
“Inform the Grave Walkers that the time has come.”
Their ill-suited game of infiltration was over.