Episode 194
“Even if I am tainted by disgrace, my desires remain unchanged. The ideals you couldn’t achieve…”
The pure maiden spoke, her voice unwavering. Just then—
Thud!
Lady Shadow, with her dark wings unfurled, launched herself forward, gripping the Peacemaker.
“Well, damn,” Master Baro muttered under his breath, clearly unsettled. Yet, the Shadow Lord remained silent, observing the scene with a stoic calm.
“What do you know to spout such noble nonsense?” Lady Shadow retorted, her voice sharp.
At that moment, the web that had ensnared the pure maiden unraveled.
Clang!
Once more, the black and white swords clashed. The two angels, one with wings of pure white and the other of pitch black, collided in a dance of steel—one real, the other an imitation.
Darkness swirled around the black wings, while the light of dawn erupted in response. As energy clashed, the two maidens surged forward, their wings cutting through the chaos. Swords locked, scattering light and shadow.
“I have seen it—the horrific end my ideals brought, the hell that unfolded on the island of Britannia…!”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
The two swords, locked in a desperate struggle, trembled with the force of their wielders.
At that moment, the pure maiden smiled—a smile filled with compassion and grace beyond compare.
“We did nothing wrong.”
These were the words of salvation that Aurelia had longed for amidst the cruel reality.
”…”
The dark Aurelia, her sword still poised, fell silent. Her hand, gripping the sword, trembled slightly—a visible sign of her inner turmoil.
“No, it was my fault.”
Finally, the dark Aurelia shouted, her voice breaking.
“Taking responsibility is the burden of the defeated, and I lost! It was all my fault. A righteousness that cannot win is meaningless.”
“Then what holds meaning?”
“Power.”
The dark Aurelia replied, her voice steadying as she regained her composure.
“The day I lost to the ‘Black Prince’ was not about good or evil. It was simply because I lacked power.”
The strong seize everything, while the weak lose all. The logic of power, as proclaimed by the Red Tower, was the logic of the world.
As the one who had once brought hell to Britannia, the Shadow Lord remained silent. But the silence did not last.
“But my lord possesses power.”
The dark Aurelia spoke, her voice filled with unwavering faith.
“As the Shadow Lord, he commands the false riders of this land and has the power to drive the empire to ruin.”
”…”
“I pledged my loyalty to that power and chose to become his puppet. For only my lord can bring about the downfall of this detestable empire.”
“Indeed.”
After a pause, the Shadow Lord finally spoke.
“Lady Aurelia, I promise you, on my honor and that of Saxon.”
As the ‘Black Prince’ who once defeated the maiden on Britannia.
“Your decision to become the Shadow Lord’s sword was not a mistake.”
Simultaneously, Dale turned to the pure maiden.
“Which maiden is right will be determined by who stands amidst the empire’s ruins, won’t it?”
“Ha, so what now? Planning to return with flowers in both hands?” Master Baro grumbled, and Dale shook his head.
“The blue web will guide her path.”
─ Ah, I gladly accept my lord’s command.
Arachne, borrowing the body of a dark elf, laughed and extended her arm.
A blue light surged forth. It wasn’t cold. It was the blue magic of deceit and intrigue, dispelling the barrier of flesh that engulfed the area.
Before long, they found themselves in the mansion of the Valachian Count. A hell built upon countless corpses to summon demons.
Yet, what those demons created was a radiant, noble goddess’s champion.
The pure maiden, another Aurelia.
─ A perfect scenario awaits the new maiden.
The blue web laughed, and Dale nodded.
“For now, follow the blue web’s guidance. Fulfilling the goddess’s mission can wait.”
“What do you hope to achieve through me?” the pure maiden asked, and Dale replied coldly.
“To prove that the shadow’s sword by my side is not wrong.”
His voice was devoid of any emotion. The dark Aurelia swallowed hard, but the pure Aurelia did not.
“I see.”
She merely smiled, as if she had expected this all along.
The champion of salvation had been defeated by an irresistible evil. That was the fate of powerless justice, and the atrocities committed there became solely its responsibility.
Realizing this, the maiden Aurelia succumbed to the harsh truth, bowing her head to power.
Yet, there was another Aurelia who did not.
Thus, Dale could only watch.
To see the chaos her existence would unleash upon the empire, and the outcome of a beautiful lie untouched by corruption.
Around that time.
Rumors spread that the shadow courts in Harlem and the surrounding cities had embraced a new order under an enigmatic ruler.
However, the criminal organizations thriving in the city’s underbelly were not the entirety of the shadow courts. Thus, when these courts began to openly consolidate and expand their influence, the ‘Seven-Headed Council’ of the Free City Alliance was taken aback.
The assassins of the shadow courts were among the most powerful forces within the Free City Alliance. Their indiscriminate subjugation and merger of various underworld organizations carried significant implications.
Especially for those who coexisted with them, ruling the city ‘from the front,’ it was a cause for great concern.
Shortly thereafter, a mysterious ruler of the shadow courts sent a letter to the ‘Seven-Headed Council.’
“Let us begin discussing the agenda, in accordance with the proud tradition of the seven cities.”
The chairman spoke, and in the silence, another head governing Harlem opened its mouth.
“No matter how strong the shadow courts are, they’re just a bunch of thugs who know a bit of aura.”
“Even if their organization is rumored to have a swordmaster, considering he sought refuge in Saxon’s frozen lands… the chances of him appearing here are slim.”
“We cannot allow their influence to grow any further.”
“In the end, they’re just underworld scum. Sooner or later, they need to be cleaned up.”
“Do you all agree to expel the shadow courts from our city?”
At the chairman’s words, the other heads nodded.
“Since we all agree to expel the shadow courts from our city…”
Amidst the consensus, the head of the Seven-Headed Council nodded.
“We will summon the council’s special task force, Dark Moon, and entrust the command and mission to that man.”
A secret weapon the Free City Alliance kept in reserve for emergencies.
After all, ruling over seven major cities is no small feat. Moreover, the wealth generated from these cities could accomplish much, even if it couldn’t rival that of Guild City.
“We can’t skimp on a few gold coins to clean up the trash.”
It happened almost simultaneously.
As usual, the city guards conducted their routine inspections to monitor criminal activity, and the smaller crime guilds complied without resistance.
They lined up against the wall, hands raised, as the guards checked for suspicious items.
That day was no different.
The members of the crime guild lined up against the wall, until the guards behind them drew their swords.
The council’s special task force, and the swords of a certain swordsman leading them, were unleashed.
A large-scale purge began in Harlem and other cities. Most of the victims were lower-tier members of the shadow courts, and reports came in that even some smaller courts fell to their blades.
For Dale, who remained in Harlem to manage the criminal organizations, it was a bolt from the blue.
“The council’s special task force?”
“They weren’t ordinary swords!”
A member of a small court bowed his head as he spoke. Hearing this, Master Baro shrugged in disbelief.
“Ha! They didn’t lift a finger when the ‘Covenant’ kidnapped kids and wrecked a perfectly fine city. But against underworld scum, they’re merciless.”
“That’s how the world works.”
Dale muttered calmly.
“So, what will you do?”
“What else can I do?”
Dale replied. Just then—
“City guards! Show yourselves immediately!”
A loud knock came at the entrance of their hideout, officially a tavern.
“Ah, the tiger comes when you speak of it.”
Upon hearing those words, the Shadow Lord rose to his feet. He was at the heart of the organization known as the “Grave Walkers,” the true power within the court.
Though they might not know exactly who was present, they had clearly identified this place as the headquarters of the Shadow Court, the ruling force in the city.
The evidence was clear: the sheer number of guards surrounding the hideout was anything but ordinary.
This wasn’t some flimsy attempt to catch them off guard and strike from behind.
“We have guests, so we should show them the proper hospitality.”
“Ha! How did our noble prince end up on the path of villainy?” Master Baro chuckled.
Bang! Bang!
The sound of guards pounding on the tavern door echoed menacingly. Though disguised as mere guards, they were undoubtedly more than that. As the saying goes, they were the elite of the elite, honed by the Seven-Headed Council.
“If I’m going to be a villain, I might as well have a fitting name,” Dale remarked as he moved.
“Isn’t ‘Shadow Lord’ enough for you?”
“Can I really go around shouting that name in every back alley?”
“Hmm, you’ve got a point there,” Master Baro admitted, scratching his head. Leaving the guards sprawled in front of the tavern behind, Dale’s shadowy cloak billowed and transformed into a hood.
From the darkness beneath the hood, the Shadow Lord murmured softly, “From now on, call me Boss.”