Episode 194
* * *
“Even if this body is stained with shame and disgrace, what I wish for will not change. The ideal that you could not achieve… …”
The pure white virgin spoke. It was at that moment.
Taat!
Lady Shadow, with black wings, kicked the ground while holding Peacemaker.
“Oh my, shit.”
Master Baro cursed at the sight. Nevertheless, the Shadow Lord remained silent.
“You… …what do you know to say such sweet nothings!”
At the same time, the spider web that had been wrapping around the pure white virgin was released.
Kaang!
Once again, the black and white swords clashed. The two angels with pure white and jet black wings clashed with the fake and real swords.
Darkness swirled along the pitch-black wings, and the light of dawn poured out its saturation against them. In the midst of the clash of energy-state attacks, two virgins rushed in with their wings spread. Their swords interlocked, and light and darkness scattered.
“I saw. The disastrous consequences of my ideals, the hell unleashed upon the island of Britannia… …!”
“It’s not your fault.”
Two clashing swords are engaged in a desperate struggle.
At that very moment, the pure white virgin smiled. With the virgin’s incomparable mercy and love.
“We did nothing wrong.”
Those were the words of salvation that Aurelia had been longing for in the midst of the cruel reality.
“… … .”
Aurelia in pitch black, put down her sword and remained silent. The hand holding the sword was trembling faintly. It was a commotion that could be seen just by looking at it.
“No, it’s my fault.”
At the end of the song, Aurelia in Black shouted.
“It is the loser’s fault to take responsibility, and I lost! It was all my fault. There was no point in drawing a line that could not be won.”
“Then what does it mean?”
“It’s strength.”
Aurelia the Black answered, finally ending her agitation and regaining her usual composure.
“That day, my defeat by the ‘Black Prince’ wasn’t a matter of good or evil. It was simply because I lacked the strength.”
The strong get everything, and the losers lose everything. The logic of power that the Red Tower cried out so loudly was the logic of the world.
As the one who once brought hell to the isle of Britannia, the Shadow Lord remained silent. But the silence was not to last long.
“But my lord is strong.”
“The pitch-black Aurelia spoke, with unquestioning confidence.
“As the Shadow Lord, you command the false bannermen of this land, and have the power to bring ruin to the Empire.”
“… … .”
“I have offered myself to be his puppet and loyal to that power. For it is only my lord who can bring about the destruction of this hateful country and empire.”
“That is exactly what you said.”
After a moment of silence, the Shadow Lord opened his mouth.
“Lady Aurelia, I swear on my honor and the honor of Saxony.”
As the ‘Black Prince’ who once defeated the Virgin on the island of Britannia.
“Your decision to swear to become the Shadow Lord’s sword was absolutely not a mistake.”
At the same time, Dale turned his head towards the pure white maiden.
“Which side of the virgin was right? The one standing on the ruins of the empire will find the answer. Isn’t that right?”
“Oh, so what are you going to do from now on? Are you going to go back with flowers in both hands?”
Master Baro muttered, and Dale shook his head.
“The blue curtain will show her the way forward.”
─ Ah, I will gladly follow your orders, Your Majesty.
Arachne, who had borrowed the body of a dark elf, laughed, and stretched out her arms.
A blue light swirled around. It wasn’t cold air. It was a blue magic of intrigue and lies, a dispel magic that destroyed the barrier of flesh that was encroaching on the area.
Before he knew it, it was the mansion of the Count of Wallachia. A hell where countless mountains of corpses were piled up to bring down the devil.
But what the demons of Hell created was the most noble and shining rider of the Goddess.
The pure white virgin, another Aurelia.
─ We have a perfect scenario prepared for the new Virgin.
The blue curtain laughed, and Dale nodded.
“For now, follow the blue spiderweb. It won’t be too late to carry out the goddess’ mission.”
“What do you wish to achieve through me?”
The pure white maiden asked back, and Dale answered coldly.
“I want to prove that the shadow sword by my side is not wrong.”
It was a voice without even a shred of emotion. Only then did the pitch-black Aurelia take a breath, but the pure-white Aurelia did not.
“Is that so?”
Rather, he just smiles indifferently as if he knew it would happen.
The savior of the nation was defeated by an evil that could not be resisted. It was the words of powerless justice, and because of the powerlessness, even the trampling of evil that occurred there became the sole responsibility of justice.
Realizing this, the virgin Aurelia succumbed to the cruel truth. By bowing her head before power.
But there was another Aurelia there who didn’t do that.
That’s why Dale just wanted to watch.
About the chaos that her presence would unleash upon the empire, and the consequences that her unsullied, beautiful lies would bring.
* * *
Around that time.
There were rumors that the shadow courts in Harlem and other cities were ushering in a new order under an unknown ruler.
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However, the criminal organizations that live in the back alleys of the city are by no means the shadow courts. That is why, when these shadow courts began to openly gather and expand their power, the ‘Seven Headed Council’ of the Free Cities Alliance could not help but be perplexed.
The Shadow Court’s assassins are one of the most powerful forces in the Free Cities Alliance. The fact that such a force is indiscriminately subjugating and merging all sorts of back-alley organizations is significant.
This must be especially disconcerting for those who coexist with them and rule the city ‘from the front’.
Some time later, a certain ruler who ruled over the Shadow Court sent a letter to the ‘Council of Seven Heads’.
“Now, in keeping with the proud tradition of the Seven Cities, we will begin to discuss the agenda.”
The chairman opened his mouth about that letter. In the silence, another head that ruled Harlem opened his mouth.
“No matter how powerful the Shadow Court is, they are ultimately just a bunch of rascals who know how to use their Auras a little.”
“Although they say that their organization has a killer named Salgeom, considering the rumor that he has taken refuge in the frozen lands of Saxony… … the chances of him showing up here are slim.”
“We cannot afford to see their influence grow any further.”
“In the end, they were just back-alley thugs. Regardless of whether it was late or early, they were the ones who had to be cleaned up anyway.”
“So, do you all agree to expel the ‘Shadow Court’ from our city?”
The rest of the heads bowed at the chairman’s words.
“Then, since everyone is of the same mind about expelling the Shadow Court from our city… … .”
In the ensuing agreement, the heads of the seven-headed council nodded.
“I will summon the Dark Moon, the executive branch directly under the National Assembly, and entrust that man with the command and mission of the unit.”
A hidden trump card for the Free Cities Alliance in case of emergency.
In any case, ruling over seven huge cities is not something that just anyone can do. Furthermore, there are many things that can be done with the wealth that comes from those seven cities. Even if it is not comparable to that of Guild City.
“It’s not worth saving a few gold coins to clean up the garbage.”
* * *
It happened very simultaneously.
As usual, it was a show stopper carried out by the city guards to monitor criminal activities within the city, and accordingly, the city’s small and medium-sized criminal guilds also did not resist and meekly followed their orders.
It involves lining up in a row with your hands against the wall and checking to see if you are carrying any suspicious items or the like.
That day was no different.
Until the members of the Crime Guild all placed their hands against the wall and the guards with their backs to them all drew their swords.
The swords of the executive branch of the council, and furthermore, the swordsman who commanded them, were swung.
* * *
A large-scale purge began in Harlem and other parts of the city. The majority of the victims were members of the shadow courts that were rapidly gaining control of the city, and even some of the smaller courts were reported to have fallen under their swords.
For Dale, who still remained in Harlem and coordinated criminal organizations, this was truly shocking news.
“The executive branch directly under the National Assembly?”
“Look, it wasn’t an ordinary sword!”
One of the slaughtermen in the small court lowered his head and said. Hearing that, Master Baro shrugged his shoulders in disbelief.
“Haha. When those guys called 《Decision》 kidnapped kids and ransacked a perfectly good city, they didn’t even flinch. But when it comes to back alley trash, they’re just merciless.”
“That’s the way of life.”
Dale muttered blandly.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“What should I do?”
Dale answered, right then and there.
“City Guard! Show yourself now!”
There was a knock at the entrance to their hideout, officially known as the Mokro Tavern.
“Ah, the tiger heard me and came looking for me.”
Hearing those words, the Shadow Lord rose up. The core of the organization where the real powerhouses within the court, the Grave Walkers, gathered.
Whoever is here may not know, but they seem to have figured out in advance that this is the leader of the shadow court in this city.
As evidence, the number of guards surrounding the hideout was unusual.
It wasn’t a shallow trick to induce letdown and strike from behind.
“Now that we have guests, we should show them the appropriate level of sincerity.”
“Haha, how could our good Confucius have fallen into the path of evil?”
Master Baro chuckled.
Boom bang!
The sound of guards threateningly knocking on the tavern entrance could be heard. They were disguised as guards, but they were certainly not mere guards. They were probably the best of the best, forged by the Seven-Headed Council.
“If I’m going to be a villain, I need a name that sounds good.”
Dale said, walking away.
“What, isn’t being a Shadow Lord enough?”
“Can I go around the back alleys and shout out that name to my neighbors?”
“Hmm, that’s true too.”
Master Baro scratched his head. Then, leaving behind the guards stationed in front of the Mokro Tavern, Dale’s shadow cloak fluttered and took the form of a hood.
In the darkness beneath the hood, the Shadow Lord muttered softly.
“From now on, when you call me here, call me boss.”
