Episode 181
* * *
“Why are you making that face?”
Dale asked the Prince of Crystal, leaving behind the black blood and the cold apocalyptic air flowing through his body.
“Oh, by the way, you said you were cursed to not be able to die even if you wanted to. The immortal prince.”
Since it was Dale now, I could understand.
“Now I can kill you myself.”
The weight of the Shadow Lord’s power, but at the same time, the being before him felt like a fleeting insect.
“You… … !”
The expression on the Prince’s face froze again. The Frost Watchers all breathed hostility, and that was it.
“Oh, everyone, just leave it at that. You guys can’t do anything about this person. If you keep whining unnecessarily, you’ll end up worse than a dog dying.”
Master Baro blocks Dale’s path and speaks to the Frost Watchers. Master Baro turns his head away.
Salgeom stared at Dale with a frozen expression, his usual smile completely gone.
“More than that, are you really the you I know?”
Master Baro asked. The Shadow Lord did not answer right away.
“No matter how much I dislike that elf, I never looked at him like he was an insect.”
That was the point. Dale smiled bitterly at those words.
A chilling coldness seeped into every part of my body. However, it was by no means a cold spell. The coldness was freezing even the emotions that a human being should have.
“Please forgive my rudeness.”
So Dale just quietly bowed his head. That was it.
The Second Empire, a glimpse into the future beyond the veil of the ancient elves. That was the test that the Blue Curtain and the Elven Council presented to the Shadow Lord, and this was the result of that test.
The cold of doom that will finally envelop this world when countless stars fall and the universe falls silent.
What Dale now held in his hands was a piece of the cosmic winter that would come after eons of time.
Along with the primordial darkness of the old dark mother.
* * *
The Shadow Lord returned to the council chamber, where the two elven lords knelt.
Because there was no way he wouldn’t know the identity of the cold air swirling through Dale’s heart.
At the same time, countless blue butterflies flew up to fill the room, and the butterflies gathered together to form a human silhouette.
The blue curtain knelt down with the two elf lords and opened its mouth.
“The riders of the shadows, dare to see our lord, who has reached the end of providence.”
There was only one reason why the elves accepted Dale as their Shadow Lord without a shred of doubt.
Because when the winter of the universe approaches, the ‘ultimate providence’ that will finally rule this world is embedded in his body.
The cold of the apocalypse.
“As the sovereign of Providence and Truth, I willingly accept your allegiance.”
Shadows are soon the truth. The truth beyond the mirage of gold and the sun. And it is never beautiful, and sometimes it is so terrible, ugly, and hopeless that it is unacceptable.
Just as the ancient elven empire that lifted the curtain and witnessed the truth of the universe could not handle it and perished.
And as the Shadow Lord, what Dale proved to them was the truth of this world.
There is only one truth that will come at the end of the universe. And it is not something that mere mortals can resist. The Elven kingdom, having realized this fact, never resists providence.
That is why I kneel before the Shadow Lord.
Because this world will end in ice and darkness.
* * *
In the innermost chamber of the Imperial Palace, the Great Emperor sitting on the golden throne raised his head.
“Even the golden throne, shining brightly, is truly fleeting before the shadow of this hall.”
Arthur the Great spoke. At the heavy echo, the ‘Lord of Fire and Blood’ spoke from the shadows.
“Shall I light a light, Your Majesty?”
“Do so.”
At Arthur the Great’s words, the blood-red ball there snapped its fingers. A brilliant light spread out, driving away all shadows. The shadows disappeared.
“Some say this world will end in ice.”
The Golden Monarch opened his mouth quietly.
“Then are we creatures who were created from the beginning to be defeated by an inescapable fate and cruel truth?”
There were lords there, led by the Lord of Fire and Blood, who were willing to call themselves the Golden Riders. Just like those who once called themselves the Shadow Riders before the Shadow Lord.
Those who kneel before the Lord of Lies and willingly call themselves his bannermen.
“Ray’s preparations are complete, Your Majesty.”
The Lord of Fire and Blood opened his mouth, and beside him, his adopted son Ray Yuris also knelt.
“Remember, child of lies, that we were not created to be defeated.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
The Golden Emperor opened his mouth at the sight. Ray Yuris bowed his head, steeling himself.
The lord of lies, who resists the truth and his inescapable fate, is paradoxically the most human of all beings.
* * *
The Shadow Lord was there.
With the allegiance of two elven lords in hand, and a pledge in hand that their kingdoms would be willing to call themselves the Riders of Shadow.
On the hot lands of the desert and the lords of the sand, facing the old exiles of their kingdom.
“Teacher Sepia.”
“Dale… … .”
Dale opened his mouth. Sepia swallowed her breath, unable to say anything.
It was Dale’s decision to learn the truth about Sepia during the War of the Roses and give her her freedom.
Furthermore, after the hint of the blue tower was lifted, it was Dale’s will that relieved her of the debt of life she was carrying.
It wasn’t that he wanted any other compensation. However, it was also true that he secretly hoped that Sepia would recognize his actions.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
“It’s nice to see you again.”
Dale said, blandly, feeling as if he had suddenly become a child of that time.
“… … .”
Sepia did not answer right away. She was simply amazed at how the young disciple in front of her had grown so trustworthy. And the fact that those days were nothing more than a puppet show full of lies made her heart ache even more.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
So Sepia asked.
“What I showed you was never my will.”
“That could be the case.”
Pretending to sound cold.
“But even if everything you showed me was a lie.”
At that, Dale continued speaking.
“Teacher Sepia’s lies shed more true blood to me than any truth.”
“… … .”
“I like you.”
Dale said.
“Not as a child from back then, but as a man who can face you straight on.”
“Yeah, you’ve really become a great man.”
Sepia smiled quietly.
“But I… … .”
“No need to say more.”
However, Dale quietly shook his head towards Sepia, who was trying to continue speaking.
“The Queen of Crystal is waiting.”
“… … !”
“Like this, Teacher Sepia can return to her hometown.”
Sepia swallowed her breath at Dale’s words.
“Because Lady Sepia is no longer an ‘exile’ from the Crystal Kingdom.”
Sepia probably couldn’t even imagine. Now that she has the blood of the dark and the cold of the end in her hands, what will Dale be reborn as?
“The Shadow Lord has decided so.”
Just then, the old woman on the mountain, who had been silent in the distance, intervened.
“The one before you has proven himself worthy of being the ‘Shadow Lord’, and your mother and I are willing to become his standard-bearers. Moreover, the Lord desires your innocence as an exile.”
“no way!”
Sepia swallowed her breath as she pondered the meaning. A commotion incomparable to anything she had just experienced gripped her.
Sepia was once the leader of the Frost Watchers before the Prince of Crystal, so it is impossible for her not to know the meaning.
“Not for you, Sepia.”
But Dale shook his head coldly.
“It was all to gain my power and influence as the Shadow Lord.”
To deceive her about the debt of gratitude she must be feeling.
“All I wish is the destruction of the Empire and the overthrow of the Golden Monarch from his throne.”
The Shadow Lord spoke coldly. And it was never a lie.
“The Queen of Crystal is waiting. Please go quickly.”
Dale could understand Sepia’s hesitation. That’s why Dale didn’t hesitate any longer.
“Let’s go too, right away.”
“Oh, where are you going?”
“Where is it, my territory?”
“Uh, ahem, I see.”
Master Baro nodded in confusion, and Dale continued walking. No, he tried to walk.
“… … Wait a minute.”
Sepia opened her mouth. Dale’s movements stopped.
“Do you have anything to say?”
“It wasn’t a lie.”
Sepia said. Dale swallowed.
“But I’m still not sure if those days were real.”
“Is it really that important?”
Dale asked coldly. Sepia nodded silently.
“So won’t you give me another chance?”
“… … .”
At those words, Dale held his breath.
“Of my own volition, I would like to tread the frozen soil of Saxony with you once again.”
Sepia said, with a faint shyness that was not typical of her.
“I want to go back there and find out my heart again.”
Sepia said, and Dale turned his head.
The primordial darkness that flows through his body, the cold of the apocalypse, who would dare call Dale human?
But when Sepia finally gave her heart, Dale’s heart was filled with more human emotions than ever before. For the first time, he felt like crying like a child. But he couldn’t cry.
Because I couldn’t show my black tears in front of Sepia.
* * *
“Ah, there are a lot of humans coming today.”
In the winter of the universe, within the frozen ground, ‘Winter’ opened its mouth. As an incarnation made up of the very coldness of the end.
“The Shadow Lord must have come here.”
Ray Yuris opened his mouth in front of him.
“Child of lies, shall I tell you the truth?”
“gladly.”
Ray Yuris bowed his head and smiled as if he was enjoying winter.
“──You, that child, are not even close to the Shadow Lord’s feet.”
The cruel truth that could not be escaped flowed from Winter’s mouth.
“And this world ends in ice. No one can change that. Because that’s the truth.”
Winter laughed mockingly. Ray Yuris remained silent.
“Is that true?”
After a moment of silence, Ray Yuris asked again and Winter nodded.
“You are truly struggling in vain, even when faced with an unavoidable fate and truth. You are so foolish that I am speechless.”
“Because we were not created to lose.”
Ray Yuris said, as the Golden Lord once said.
“Ha, haha! That’s funny.”
Winter has burst into taunts again.
“Yes, try to struggle desperately, you child of lies!”
Winter burst into laughter, laughing with mockery.
“Engrave in your bones the fate that your existence will not even touch the Shadow Lord’s toes, engrave in your heart the inescapable truth of the universe, and still, fight against fate and truth to the end, see through your lies!”
At the same time, the cold wind of apocalypse that was sweeping through his area engulfed Ray Yuris’s existence.
“I will gladly watch over your struggles and foolishness in resisting fate and truth!”
