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After finishing his audience with the emperor, Leo immediately left the audience room.
Fritz and Jane, who were waiting in front of the emperor’s room, approached Leo as he opened the door and came out.
“What happened?”
“They said they couldn’t let us meet.”
“Look at that.”
Jane shook her head as if she had expected that to happen.
Fritz looked puzzled.
“That’s strange. “I can’t even let you meet me.”
“Do you think it’s that easy to meet Shan’s shadow?”
“Hey, kid.”
“Hey, kid?”
Jane was taken aback by Leo’s words.
“Are you just calling me a kid?”
“Then should I call him a kid?”
Leo tilted his head, pointing at Fritz, who was taller than him.
Seeing Leo like that, Jane got angry.
“I’m older than you?!”
Jane, who turned 17 this year, may be younger than Leo, but she is clearly older than him.
But Leo, who had memories of his past life, didn’t care about that.
“I have a question to ask. Where can I rest?”
“Aren’t you even listening?!”
“Guide me.”
“… … .”
Jane slumped her shoulders as she saw Leo not paying any attention to what she said.
‘For some reason, I feel like I’m the only one who becomes a fool when I argue with this person.’
“I will guide you.”
Jane guided Leo.
From the moment she arrived in Shan, Jane had been Leo’s guide.
Fritz muttered as he followed Jane.
“You little one… … .”
Fritz muttered softly, ‘Huh!’ and laughed.
“ok? What does that smile mean? “Are you starting a fight?”
Jane, who was in tears, could not stand it with Fritz.
***
After some commotion, Jane led Leo to an annex next to the imperial palace.
Even though it was late, there were a hundred people lined up on either side of the outbuilding.
“Welcome to the Shan Empire. “We will do our best to ensure that Leo does not experience any inconvenience during his stay.”
A middle-aged man who appeared to be the chamberlain greeted Leo politely.
‘It’s a shadow.’
It wasn’t just the chamberlain.
Among the hundred servants and maids lined up on either side, some also seemed like shadows.
Fritz narrowed his eyes as if he knew that too, but didn’t say anything.
Meanwhile, Leo was guided to the largest room inside the annex.
“Please call me anytime if you need anything.”
After saying polite words, the chamberlain left the room.
Leo sat in the large, luxurious chair in the room.
“What do you want to know about me?”
Jane asked, standing in front of Leo.
Leo said while looking at Jane.
“Can you tell me about Chen Xia you know?”
“yes?”
“I wonder what kind of life Chen Xia, whom I don’t know, lived. And how he came to be in Rumern. Also, why did he decide to quit being a hero candidate?”
Xia Wu said that Chen Xia has admired heroes since she was young.
And he said that if he met Leo now, his heart would be shaken and he would give up the path of shadow and walk the path of a hero.
On the other hand, Jane said that the reason Chen Xia quit being a hero candidate was because of Leo.
“I have been taking care of Sia for 10 years.”
Shadow candidates train to become shadows from a young age.
It is said that Jane, who was an orphan, was taken in by Shan’s shadows, recognized for her qualities as a shadow, and became a shadow candidate.
“Excellent shadow candidates can work under the royal family. “So did I.”
It was said that the shadow candidates who would lead Shan’s future had gathered under Chen Xia.
“Sia cherished the shadow candidates who followed her.”
The training of shadow candidates is harsh and cruel.
Beings who live in the dark and must punish people no matter how traitorous they are.
Sometimes, that harshness destroyed humanity.
In the process, some people were reduced to killing machines that only followed orders.
‘No, they probably raised it that way on purpose.’
Leo’s eyes narrowed.
——————
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“Everyone followed Sia. So we wanted Sia to become a hero.”
Jane closed her eyes tightly.
“Because he was a person better suited to be a hero than a shadow. And Sia went to Rumern last year.”
“Given the emperor’s personality, I don’t think he would have easily given permission?”
“yes. “His Majesty the Emperor placed one condition on Xia.”
“condition?”
“If I can’t become a representative of my grade, I will give up my path as a hero.”
It meant that if you cannot become the best among the hero candidates, you should give up your path as a hero.
“So, did you say that Senior Chen Xia quit being a hero candidate because of Senior Leo?”
Fritz, who was listening to the story, frowned.
“That’s just blaming someone else.”
“know! “I know!”
Jane was furious and glared at Fritz.
But soon his shoulders slumped.
“Is that the only reason you gave up being a hero?”
“Sia told me the day she came back. He said he saw people worthy of real heroes… … “Those people should be heroes.”
Jane lowered her head.
“He who has dipped his feet into the darkness can no longer be a hero… … “That’s what you said.”
When Leo heard those words, he sighed deeply.
“Do you know anything about the name Bihar?”
“No, who is that?”
“It’s okay if you don’t know.”
Leo shook his head and buried himself deeply in the backrest.
“How is it that all these f*cking bullshits are so identical?”
“yes?”
“I’m talking to myself.”
Leo closed his eyes.
***
Whioooooo-
From the high walls of Gadthron, a woman was looking down on the city.
A large-scale battle that took place some time ago.
People were blessing the heroes who returned from the Battle of Tarmetia.
The great heroes, led by Lisinas, and the countless warriors who followed them.
After winning the Battle of Tarmetia, many areas lost were able to be recovered.
“To the deeds of great heroes! Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
“Thanks to the heroes who saved the world! Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
“Waaaa!”
The residents of God’s Lawn roared with joy.
The eyes of people who had lived in despair and lamentation for decades were suddenly filled with hope.
The gloomy gray sky remains the same.
However, people thought about the brilliant performance of the great heroes.
One day, that gray sky will disappear and the lost blue sky will be found.
The long, long time of despair will end and peace will definitely be restored.
People were able to see hope.
The sounds of excited chatter and applause were heard.
Regardless of humans, elves, beastmen, and dwarves, everyone created a festival.
The beastmen played instruments and the humans sang along.
The elves danced to it and the dwarves created the stage.
The dragons told the children about the heroes’ great deeds.
Everyone came together and blessed the great victory.
Everyone smiled brightly in the bright light.
Only the woman was on the dark wall, far from the light.
The woman smiled as she watched the festival from afar.
“You’re shaking again.”
Bihar gasped at the voice heard from behind! Then he stumbled.
Then he lost his balance, waved his hands, and fell from the castle wall.
“Ka, Kyle.”
Bihar managed to grab the railing of the castle wall and came up.
“You almost fell!”
“Would you die if you fell from this height?”
Kyle, with a pitiful expression on his face, slumped down on the castle wall.
Vihar knelt down in front of Kyle.
Kyle, with his arms crossed, looked at the festival scene from afar and spoke.
“How long are you going to stop appearing in front of people?”
“Won’t you never have to go out in your life?”
“You too are a hero who saved many people.”
“When others fought Tartarus, I had their blood on my hands. “Even if I’m a traitor, I don’t want to appear in front of people for cutting down people.”
Vihar looked down at his hands.
“Furthermore, among the people I killed with my own hands, people still think they are heroes. “There are probably a lot of people who won’t understand my existence.”
Traitors are definitely beings that must be punished.
But if you find out that among the heroes who give people hope is a traitor… … .
Those who had begun to have hope were sure to fall into despair.
This was a time when people needed someone they could trust and rely on.
Therefore, among the traitors who were executed at the hands of Kyle and Bihar, there were many who were remembered as noble heroes.
“I cannot be a hero who has dipped my feet into the darkness.”
“Then what am I?”
“Kyle is different. “Kyle is a person who can shine even in the dark.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
Vihar just laughed while looking at Kyle, who had an absurd expression on his face.
“Don’t worry too much. In a world where Erebos has been subdued and Tartarus has disappeared… … I’ll let you know someday. “The fact that there was a person like me.”
“Ah, I found it! “It was here!”
I heard a drunk sound.
Luna ran over and put a headlock on Kyle’s neck.
“you! Do you think you would have run away instead of drinking? “I guess that means you’ve admitted defeat in your masterpiece, right?”
“Don’t stick around and talk. “Because your breath stinks.”
“Where is my bad breath coming from?”
“I vomited, so of course my breath stinks.”
Luna gave strength to the arms around Kyle’s neck and shook them wildly.
In response, Kyle pinched Luna’s cheek and shook her violently.
Luna bit Kyle’s hand and Leo pulled the other cheek as well.
“Dweno. “Kyle and Luna fight again!”
“Leave me alone. “How long have those idiots been fighting for a day or two?”
“Bihar. “Are you here alone again?”
Aron and Dweno appeared and Lisinath smiled bitterly, worrying about Bihar.
Berkia, the elf girl who followed along, had her shoulders drooping.
“Why is Berkia so depressed again?”
“I forgot the sword that Luna gave me as a gift in battle.”
“ah… … Erquint.”
After exclaiming for a moment, Vihar approached Berkia and stroked her head.
“Don’t worry, I’ll find it.”
“… … really?”
Vihar smiled, looking at her with wide eyes.
“of course.”
“hey. Don’t accept it. “It’s becoming a bad habit.”
“hemp cloth!”
Berkia stuck her tongue out at Kyle.
“This cocky little boy… … .”
Suddenly, the quiet castle walls were filled with commotion.
This was another hideout for great heroes.
Dweno opened the barrel he brought and drank happily with Kyle and Luna.
Aron played the flute and Lysinas hummed a song.
Disciples of Bihar, Berkia, and other great heroes smiled broadly.
“… … .”
Leo opened his eyes.
‘In the end, Bihar did not make its name known to the world.’
She had no intention of becoming a hero.
So I had no intention of blaming him for choosing to remain in the dark for the rest of his life.
Because she chose the path according to her beliefs.
But what about Chen Xia?
wants to be a hero
“But you can’t be a hero because you’ve dipped your toes into the darkness? “You’re cocky.”
Fritz and Jane trembled at Leo’s words.
Before he knew it, Leo was glaring at the darkened Shan imperial palace outside the window with fearful eyes.
Leo got up and went to the window.
“Where are you going?”
Jane asked urgently.
Leo said while looking at Jane.
“I’m going to Chen Xia.”
“yes? “Do you know where you are?”
“If you search, you’ll find it.”
Chen Xia, coiled in the darkness of Shan’s imperial palace, cannot even find Jane, the shadow candidate.
No, even excellent shadows are hard to find.
But you want to find it?
“What are you going to do when you find it?”
Leo smiled, looking at Jane who was embarrassed.
“How can I do it? “We have to force it out of the darkness.”
fantasy,
