Episode 257
Days passed with them sleeping rough on the road, spending nights on straw mats in shabby taverns. For Lize, who had grown up as the cherished daughter of a noble family, these were difficult times to adjust to. Yet, she proved to be more resilient than expected.
“We’re here, Lize.”
After traversing several free cities and territories, and navigating the river that cut across the continent, Dale and his companions finally arrived in the Kingdom of Valaina.
Aside from showing Lize the world, Dale had another mission to fulfill.
He had heard whispers of elves being kidnapped and sold into slavery here. His task was to uncover the truth. If the rumors were true, the self-proclaimed king of Valaina would have to face the consequences.
Moreover, this would serve as a warning to those who claimed to rule the continent.
The Shadow Duke’s watchers were neither a simple threat nor something to be taken lightly. They were an undeniable truth that could neither be deceived nor escaped.
“You said you came to investigate the secret elf trade here in Valaina.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Good timing. We have the perfect bait.”
Sepia, who had been briefed by Dale, chimed in eagerly.
“Bait?”
“The people here are after elves, and conveniently, we have an elf right here.”
The elf mage smiled reassuringly.
“What is there to fear, Dale?”
“Nothing at all.”
Dale shook his head quietly. As she said, there was nothing to fear. Even if they turned the entire kingdom against them, Dale had the strength to protect those he needed to.
“Let’s go with Sepia’s plan.”
After some thought, Dale nodded. Watching their exchange, young Lize tilted her head in confusion, not quite understanding.
“I’ve been expecting you.”
Before taking action, they needed information. As soon as Dale set foot in Valaina, a robed blue mage appeared, as if waiting for him.
Sepia’s expression briefly hardened, but she quickly regained her composure.
“Our master of the Blue Tower, the Shadow Lord.”
A sorceress from the Blue Tower bowed her head to Dale.
“Everything is ready. The Crystal Queen is also quite interested in this matter. Although we’re not certain yet, it seems there are forces beyond Valaina involved.”
“What forces?”
“Ones that even the Blue Web can’t easily uncover. It might be faster for the Shadow Lord to see them himself.”
”…”
The glimpse of her ears through the robe revealed she was of the same kin as Sepia.
The Blue Web, serving as the eyes and ears of the Shadow Lord, listened and reported whispers from across the continent.
“Lize, from here on, we have some matters to discuss among ourselves.”
“But I want to listen too!”
Dale spoke, and Lize shook her head vigorously.
“I don’t want to see innocent people being kidnapped by the villains of this land!”
“You’ve heard that much already.”
Dale sighed with a bitter smile. He wanted to keep her safe while carrying out his mission, but he also knew that the safest place for Lize was by his side.
“Why do they do such things?”
“Who knows.”
Young Lize asked innocently, truly unable to comprehend. Dale, too, had no answer.
“Because they have power.”
“Power…?”
The act of sacrificing others to fulfill one’s desires. It was an act inherent to those with power, like the Third Empire.
As long as there are strong and weak in this world, such folly will continue endlessly.
He wondered if, by being one of the watchers of kings, he could prevent the repetition of the old empire’s mistakes on this land.
Perhaps ruling over the Shadow Empire with overwhelming power, which no one could resist, was the surest way to bring about the ‘ideal world’ he desired.
“Why the deep thought, Dale?”
“Nothing at all.”
Sepia called out to Dale, who was lost in thought, bringing him back to reality. He forced a smile, trying to appear calm.
“Lize, what you’re about to see will be harsh and terrible.”
“Yes, brother.”
“These aren’t things you can face with mere curiosity. You need to be prepared.”
After smiling, he spoke seriously to Lize, who nodded firmly, understanding the gravity of his words.
“I remember the feats you accomplished for the Saxon family at a younger age than me.”
”…”
“Every night before bed, Mother and Father would tell me about your achievements.”
Her admiration for Dale, and her determination to bear the responsibilities of a Saxon, shone through.
“And I am, after all, your proud sister.”
“Indeed.”
Just as Dale had once proven himself as his father’s son, Lize was no different. Seeing this, Dale smiled quietly.
“Can you promise me one thing?”
“A promise?”
“Never leave my side.”
“Of course, brother!”
Lize beamed, nodding enthusiastically. Seeing her resolve, Dale hesitated no longer.
A few days later, an elf, disguised as an outcast, wandered through the shadows of the city.
It wasn’t difficult to track the movements of the human trafficking ring, thanks to the information provided by the sorceress.
The kidnappings targeted elf outcasts on their way to the continent, exploiting the brief moment before they encountered mountain assassins.
The location fitting this description was a small area in the northern part of Valaina, and Sepia was walking through the back alleys of that very city.
The sorceress had spread false information about an outcast being in the land of crystal, and Sepia was acting according to that plan.
No secret kidnapping organization could escape the Blue Web’s watchful eyes and ears.
The kidnappers revealed themselves, playing right into Dale’s hands. Yet, Sepia offered no resistance, allowing herself to be captured.
Unconscious, she disappeared into the city’s darkness, with a shadow following closely behind.
The Shadow King.
“We’ve hit the jackpot, boss!”
In a city within Valaina, in the underground hideout of a criminal organization involved in elf trafficking, a man shouted excitedly.
But they were no ordinary kidnappers. Their bodies were honed by aura.
Once part of the Iron Cross Knights, the most powerful order in the empire, they had drifted into the city’s underworld after the empire’s fall.
They were the remnants of a fallen empire.
“This isn’t just any merchandise. The Outsiders will pay a high price.”
One man grinned wickedly, eyeing Sepia, whose beauty was exceptional even among elves.
“Outsiders?”
A voice echoed, seemingly from nowhere.
“Who…!”
The guards at the hideout’s entrance lay collapsed like puppets with their strings cut.
“Who are you referring to?”
Through the fallen bodies, a robed man emerged. Beside him was a frightened girl, an odd pairing.
“You…!”
The man waved his hand again, and the circle engraved on his heart accelerated, sending darkness surging across the ground.
Ancient shadows and tendrils swept through the hideout.
But there was no easy slaughter.
As they said, there was a watcher of the king’s watchers present.
‘It’s not easy to keep this suitable for all audiences.’
With a wry smile, Dale calmly waved his hand. The tendrils of Shub bound their limbs, and the darkness writhed menacingly.
“I’ll ask again, remnants of the Iron Cross Knights. Who were you planning to sell this merchandise to?”
“Co-could it be…!”
Before the swirling darkness, one knight’s face froze. There was no certainty. He hadn’t seen the man’s face up close.
At least, no soldier who had witnessed that man’s face on the battlefield survived.
But on that vast battlefield, no matter how far away, no one could fail to sense ‘that darkness.’
It was that very darkness.
The continent’s greatest dark mage, the continent’s greatest monster, wielding darkness.
Why he was in such a remote place was unknown. Why the ruler of the most powerful kingdom, after the empire’s fall, had come here without a word was a mystery.
But there was no mistaking his identity. They remembered the hell of shadows that monster had unleashed, and they remembered it well.
Even after the war ended, they couldn’t escape the nightmare, watching comrades go mad from the trauma. Those here were no exception, haunted by the terror of that darkness, struggling in nightmares every night.
And that nightmare stood before them.
“The Shadow Duke…”
He muttered weakly, and as soon as he uttered that name, any will to fight vanished.
The members of the hideout collapsed where they stood, drained of all strength. Those ensnared by the tentacles could only recall the nightmare of that day, laughing like madmen.
“You have two choices to make.”
In that place filled with terror and madness, Chilheukgong spoke calmly.
“One, confess the truth amidst unbearable pain, to the point where you beg for death.”
Without a hint of hesitation.
“Two, confess the truth in exchange for a painless death.”
Neither option was remotely pleasant.
“We… we don’t know their true identities!”
“Is that so? Then there’s nothing to be done.”
“We only know they’re not from this land!”
A man continued, and Dale quietly swallowed hard.
“Is that why you call them Outsiders?”
“Yes! And they treat the people of this continent as ‘commodities.’ They have a particular interest in elves, offering rare treasures unseen on this continent in exchange for them!”
”…”
At last, the true nature of the mysterious force, which even the sorceress couldn’t identify, was revealed.
Just as the legendary navigator Barbarossa had once succeeded in reaching the Eastern Continent, these beings were no exception.
Moreover, they were far from being friendly neighbors.
”…!”
Almost simultaneously, a massive explosion engulfed the area.