Chapter 241

After the audience with the Emperor, Leo immediately exited the audience chamber.

Fritz and Jane, who had been waiting in front of the Emperor’s chambers, approached Leo as he came out.

“How did it go?”

“He said he can’t arrange a meeting.”

“Told you so.”

Jane shook her head as if she had expected it.

Fritz wore a puzzled expression.

“That’s odd. He won’t even allow a meeting?”

“You think meeting the Shadow of Shan is that easy?”

“Hey, kid.”

“Ki-Kid?”

Jane was flustered by Leo’s words.

“Did you just call me a kid?”

“Then should I call him the kid instead?”

Leo tilted his head toward Fritz, who was taller than him.

Jane flared up at Leo.

“I’m older than you, you know?!”

Jane, now seventeen, might be his junior at the academy, but she was clearly older than Leo in age.

But with memories of a past life, Leo didn’t care about things like that.

“I have something to ask. Where can I rest?”

“Are you even listening?!”

“Lead the way.”

“……”

Jane slumped her shoulders at Leo’s complete disregard for her words.

‘Why does it feel like I always end up the idiot when arguing with this guy?’

“I’ll show you the way.”

Jane guided Leo.

Since arriving in Shan, Jane had been assigned as Leo’s guide.

Trailing behind Jane, Fritz muttered to himself.

“Kid, huh…”

Fritz muttered quietly and then let out a chuckle.

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? You picking a fight?”

Jane, flustered, didn’t hold back with Fritz.

—

After that brief commotion, Jane guided Leo to a detached residence beside the Imperial Palace.

Despite the late hour, a hundred people were lined up on both sides of the detached residence.

“Welcome to the Shan Empire. We will do our utmost to ensure you have no inconveniences during your stay, Lord Leo.”

A middle-aged man, who appeared to be the head chamberlain, greeted Leo with utmost respect.

‘A Shadow.’

It wasn’t just the head chamberlain.

Among the hundred servants and maids lined up, a few also seemed like Shadows.

Fritz narrowed his eyes, likely having noticed the same, but didn’t speak.

Leo was then shown to the largest room in the detached residence.

“If there’s anything you need, please call on us anytime.”

Leaving those polite words behind, the chamberlain exited the room.

Leo sat down on a large, luxurious chair.

“What is it you’re curious about?”

Jane stood in front of Leo and asked.

Leo looked at her and said,

“Can you tell me about the Chen Xia you know?”

“Excuse me?”

“I want to know what kind of life Chen Xia lived—the parts I don’t know. How she came to Lumene, and why she decided to quit being a hero candidate.”

Shau had told him Chen Xia had admired heroes since childhood.

And now, if she were to meet Leo, her heart would waver, and she would forsake the path of the Shadows to walk the path of a hero.

On the other hand, Jane had said that Chen Xia gave up being a hero candidate because of Leo.

“I’ve been serving Lady Xia at her side for the past ten years.”

Shadow candidates train from a young age to become Shadows.

Jane, an orphan, had been taken in by the Shadows of Shan, recognized for her potential, and became a Shadow candidate.

“Outstanding Shadow candidates are assigned under members of the royal family. I was one of them.”

Shadow candidates destined to shape Shan’s future had gathered under Chen Xia.

“Lady Xia treasured the Shadow candidates who followed her.”

The training of Shadow candidates was beyond harsh—bordering on brutal.

Living in darkness, even if they were traitors, they had to execute people.

Sometimes the severity was enough to strip away one’s humanity.

Some ended up reduced to slaughter machines that followed orders alone.

‘No, they probably raised them like that on purpose.’

Leo’s eyes narrowed.

“We all followed Lady Xia. That’s why we wanted her to become a hero.”

Jane tightly shut her eyes.

“She was someone far more suited to being a hero than a Shadow. And last year, Lady Xia went to Lumene.”

“Given the Emperor’s nature, I doubt he let her go easily.”

“No. His Majesty gave her one condition.”

“A condition?”

“If she couldn’t become the grade representative, she was to give up the hero’s path altogether.”

Meaning, if she couldn’t be the best among the hero candidates, she had to abandon the hero’s path.

“So that’s why you said Chen Xia quit because of me?”

Fritz, who had been listening, furrowed his brow.

“That’s just shifting the blame onto someone else.”

“I know! I know that too!”

Jane glared fiercely at Fritz.

But soon she let her shoulders fall.

“That’s the only reason she gave up?”

“On the day she returned, Lady Xia said this. That she had seen people truly worthy of being heroes… and that only such people should be heroes.”

Jane bowed her head deeply.

“She said someone like her, who had set foot in the darkness, could no longer be a hero… that’s what she said.”

Hearing this, Leo let out a long sigh.

“Do you know anyone by the name Bihar?”

“No, who’s that?”

“If you don’t, never mind.”

Shaking his head, Leo sank deeply into the backrest.

“How can someone spout the exact same bullshit?”

“Excuse me?”

“Just talking to myself.”

Leo closed his eyes.

—

Whoooosh—

From the high ramparts of Guardslone, a woman looked down at the city.

The large-scale battle from the other day.

People were celebrating the heroes returning victorious from the Battle of Tartarmetia.

Led by Lysinas, the great legendary heroes were accompanied by countless brave warriors.

Their victory in Tartarmetia had enabled them to reclaim many territories that had been lost.

– “To the achievements of the great legendary heroes! Cheers!”

– “Cheers!”

– “To the deeds of the heroes who saved the world! Cheers!”

– “Cheers!”

– “Wooooooah!”

The people of Guardslone erupted in joyful cheers.

In their eyes—people who had lived in despair and sorrow for decades—hope now shone brightly.

The eternally bleak, gray sky remained unchanged.

But seeing the dazzling feats of the great heroes, the people began to believe:

Someday that gray sky would vanish and the lost blue sky would return.

That the long, long time of despair was over, and surely, peace would be restored.

People were finally able to see hope.

Laughter and cheerful noise echoed in the air.

Humans, elves, beastkin, and dwarves all celebrated together.

Beastkin played instruments while humans sang along.

Elves danced, and dwarves built stages.

Dragons told stories of the heroes’ great deeds to children.

Everyone, united in heart, celebrated the great victory.

Everyone smiled brightly under the light.

Only one woman stood alone on the ramparts, shrouded in shadow, apart from the light.

Watching the celebration from afar, the woman smiled.

– “Being gloomy again, are we?”

Startled by the voice behind her, Bihar let out a yelp and staggered.

Losing her balance, she flailed and nearly fell from the wall.

– “Ka-Kyle!”

Barely managing to grab the ledge, Bihar climbed back up.

– “I almost fell!”

– “Like falling from this height would kill you.”

Kyle sat down heavily on the rampart with a look of disdain.

Bihar knelt in front of him.

With arms crossed, Kyle gazed out at the festival from afar and spoke.

– “How long do you plan to keep hiding from the public?”

– “Probably for the rest of my life?”

– “You’re a hero who saved many lives.”

– “While others fought Tartarus, I stained my hands with blood. Even if they were traitors, I don’t want to stand before people for cutting down fellow humans.”

Bihar looked down at her hands.

– “Besides, among those I executed, there are still people the world considers heroes. Many wouldn’t be able to accept my existence.”

A traitor certainly must be eliminated.

But if people learned that one of the heroes they looked up to had been a traitor…

Those who had only just begun to hope would surely fall back into despair.

Now was a time when people needed something or someone to believe in.

That’s why among the traitors executed by Kyle and Bihar, quite a few were still remembered as noble heroes.

– “A former hero who walked in darkness can’t return to the light.”

– “Then what does that make me?”

– “You’re different. You’re someone who can shine even in the darkness.”

– “What kind of nonsense is that?”

As Kyle looked at her with disbelief, Bihar only smiled.

– “Don’t worry too much. In a world where Erebos has been vanquished and Tartarus is gone… one day, I’ll let the world know. That someone like me existed.”

– “Ah, there you are!”

A drunken voice called out.

Luna came running up and hooked her arm around Kyle’s neck.

– “You! You ran off in the middle of a drinking contest, huh? That means you admit defeat, doesn’t it?!”

– “Don’t cling to me. Your breath reeks.”

– “How dare you say my breath stinks!”

– “You threw up. Of course it stinks.”

Luna tightened her hold on Kyle’s neck and shook him violently.

In turn, Kyle pinched her cheek and shook it back.

Luna bit Kyle’s hand, and Leo pulled on his other cheek.

– “Dweno! Kyle and Luna are fighting again!”

– “Leave them. Those idiots fight every day.”

– “Bihar, were you here alone again?”

Arron and Dweno appeared, and Lysinas smiled as he worried over Bihar.

The elf girl who followed, Velkia, looked dejected.

– “Why does Velkia look so down again?”

– “She lost the sword Luna gave her after the battle.”

– “Ah… Erquint.”

Bihar let out a soft exclamation and approached Velkia, patting her head.

– “Don’t worry. I’ll find it for you.”

– “…Really?”

Seeing her wide eyes, Bihar smiled gently.

– “Of course.”

– “Don’t spoil her like that. She’ll get used to it.”

– “Blep!”

Velkia stuck her tongue out at Kyle.

– “You cheeky little brat…”

The once-quiet rampart was now filled with noise.

This was another hideout of the great heroes.

Dweno uncorked the keg he brought and drank happily with Kyle and Luna.

Arron played the flute, and Lysinas hummed a tune.

Bihar, Velkia, and the other disciples of the great heroes all laughed brightly.

“……”

Leo opened his eyes.

‘So Bihar never revealed her name to the world after all.’

She had no desire to become a hero.

So Leo had no intention of blaming her for choosing to remain in the shadows forever.

It was a path she chose in accordance with her beliefs.

But Chen Xia?

She wanted to become a hero.

“And she says she can’t because she stepped into the darkness? How arrogant.”

At Leo’s words, Fritz and Jane flinched.

At some point, Leo was glaring fiercely out the window at the darkened imperial palace of Shan.

Leo stood and approached the window.

“Where are you going?”

Jane asked in a panic.

Leo looked at her and said,

“I’m going to see Chen Xia.”

“What? Do you even know where she is?”

“If I search, I’ll find her.”

Even Jane, a Shadow candidate, couldn’t find Chen Xia hiding in the shadows of Shan’s imperial palace.

Not even the elite Shadows could locate her easily.

Yet he said he’d find her?

“And what will you do when you do?”

As Jane panicked, Leo grinned.

“What else? I’m going to drag her out of the darkness—by force.”