Side story episode 9
* * *
In a city that had been swept away by the revolutionaries and was in chaos, Dale bought a store.
“Until the time comes, I will stay in this store.”
“Hey, here… … ?!”
“Yes.”
Dale nodded. Upi couldn’t understand what was being said and just held her breath.
Hearing of the situation in this city, which is now a battlefield, the follow-up units of the revolutionary army will arrive soon.
“But, the revolutionary army… … ”
“I’m waiting for them.”
Dale said. Surely, after hearing about the events in the city, a follow-up force of the Revolutionary Army will arrive later, and it will be by no means an ordinary scale.
Although it is somewhat crude, in a sense it is the fastest way to contact the high-ranking members of the revolutionary army.
“Wouldn’t that be dangerous though? A surprise attack or something… .”
“We are monitoring their movements through the blue web. There will be no point in a surprise attack or attack at any moment. You don’t have to worry, Miss Yuffie.”
Upi couldn’t figure out what those words meant, but upon hearing them, Upi nodded quietly.
“There is enough food left to last a few days.”
“yes…….”
“Other than this place, you can get a more expensive meal.”
“Oh, no!”
At those words, Upi waved her hands in disbelief. Dale smiled bitterly and turned away.
After that, Dale started to search the store and started to prepare relatively soft breads, sausages, and soups. Flames magically blazed from his hands, and steam rose from the soup.
“Please eat.”
“Thank you, Uncle Dale.”
After casting his spell, he took a bite of his share of hardened black bread.
* * *
Some time after that.
Spread out all around the store was the power he had previously acquired as a blue magic tower.
Even though he couldn’t use the same level of blue magic as before after handing over the power to Lize, nothing changed.
Shadows moved in the darkness, not realizing the presence of the web there. Immediately afterwards, the blue web whispered the fact to Dale, and immediately afterwards.
Footsteps soundlessly descended on the wooden floor of the shop. They were elite soldiers of the Iron Brigade, armed with Type 2 armor, just as they had attacked Margrave Rosenheim earlier.
And when they looked around into the darkness that had descended upon the store, there the shadow was.
It was a man dressed in a robe.
“Do you still think this fight is meaningful?”
The man asked, and the armored men of the Iron Cross held their breath.
“I encountered people like you in the Margrave of Rosenheim. Do you know what happened to them?”
“You bastard… … !”
“You are alive because I do not feel the need to kill you.”
The man spoke calmly, as if he were the god of death. At those words, one of the iron men mustered up the courage to ask back.
“… …Why did you massacre the comrades of the revolution in this city?”
“Because they tried to kill me.”
The man said.
“Are you here to kill me too? Probably.”
At the same time, the darkness that had settled inside the store began to stir.
“This is your last chance. Bring your commanders here right now to me.”
“How dare you… … !”
It was a voice without any hesitation or reservation, as if he was unilaterally giving orders to a subordinate.
That outrageous act of insolence stirred the pride of the Iron Age more than fear. But it was at that very moment.
Kwajik!
A scream echoed through the darkness. It was the sound of tentacles in the shadows wrapping themselves around and crushing an Iron Guard soldier without a sound.
“This is your final warning. Stand down and bring your commanders before me.”
Thud, even the most advanced armor that the Revolutionary Army boasted of had no meaning in the face of the ancient darkness. It was all crumpled and broken like a piece of paper, with bones and intestines spilling out through the gaps.
And then I could finally feel the darkness filling this room writhing with malice.
“Yes, I will accept your offer.”
I could understand. I had heard about what had happened in this city before, and now I was here witnessing the power this man had.
To resist this man is neither more nor less than a dog’s death.
That’s why I had to step down for now.
In the darkness, terrified shadows began to retreat one by one.
The robed man sat on the table and watched the iron pedestal disappear without a trace.
As if that place were a throne that existed just for him.
Alone and lonely in the darkness where there is nothing.
* * *
“You are too dangerous!”
The ones who stopped the man were the revolutionary army staff there. Although the man there was not the ‘chief’ in command of the entire revolutionary army, there was no doubt that he was one of the pillars that commanded the revolutionary army.
“He wants to negotiate, and our revolutionary forces are not strong enough to handle him. Is that not so, Colonel Bourbon?”
The man spoke. His voice was extremely calm and composed.
“Even his comrades, armed with Type 2 armor, could do nothing to him, and the townspeople say that he revived and moved countless corpses.”
“That, that’s right! The army of the dead that man raised was so great that it seemed like the reincarnation of the Demon Emperor!”
“The Demon Emperor… … ”
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At those words, the man lost his balance for a moment.
“As I said, it is never a good decision to antagonize a wizard of that power.”
“Ha, hao but that man’s magic is so evil and sinister! Even if it means shedding blood, for now it’s best to gather an army and fight an all-out war… …!”
“You are calling for an army and an all-out war because you can’t do anything about a single man? You said that man raised an army of the dead. How can our army that faces him not become an army of lions controlled by that man?”
“… … .”
Colonel Bourbon fell silent, and the man spoke.
“I have no choice but to step forward. As I said, I will speak for myself.”
“… … I understand, Sir Yuris.”
* * *
The next morning dawned and the area surrounding Dale’s store was surrounded by revolutionary forces.
Looking at the scenery through the store window, Yupi held her breath.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Yet Dale’s voice was so peaceful, as if there was nothing to be afraid of.
“I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“Well, even so, in this situation, eating… …”
“Is there any reason why you can’t?”
He asked so calmly that Yupi closed her mouth in bewilderment for a moment.
It was just then.
Creak, footsteps were heard heading towards the store. There was no intention of hiding the sound.
“Excuse me, nameless warlock.”
Dark Wizard, Dale turned his head with a bitter smile at the name.
There was a man.
It was a man with red hair, and he had a very familiar smile.
However, Dale was not the one who knew.
“My name is Albert Uris.”
“… … .”
Dale turned his head silently as he warmed up the soup and handed over the bread in the preparation area.
“I’m interested in the armor you guys are using.”
After a moment of silence, Dale opened his mouth. Albert Uris smiled and asked back.
“Excuse me, may I hear the wizard’s name?”
“There were many names. But none of them have any meaning anymore.”
“… … That may not necessarily be the case.”
Albert said.
“Just as you are, there are things that remain unchanged even in the shadows of a changing world.”
“Is the history of the Yuris family still unbroken?”
“Do you know about us?”
“I’ve been through things and seen things you can’t even imagine, young vampire.”
“… … !”
Albert’s expression finally changed at the man’s words. It wasn’t surprising that he knew his true identity. At least, there was no way a magician with this level of power wouldn’t recognize that fact.
But it was unexpected even for him that he called himself a ‘young vampire’ without any hesitation.
“Even if magic is lost, your clan still has power. So you hope for a new world through revolution?”
“… … !”
“The revolution was born to overthrow the emperor and to rationalize it. Those outside who do not know this fact are still trying to overthrow the emperor for the sake of the revolution. It is truly ridiculous.”
Everyone has a shadow. And this man was looking at the shadow of the revolutionary army as if it were his own business.
“I’m not interested in anything. There’s only one thing I want to know.”
The man said.
“The Fourth Empire’s relics that your revolutionary army is unearthing. It can’t stop at just one piece of magic armor.”
“… … !”
“How did you get it and where did you get it?”
“Even if it’s you, I can’t teach you that so easily… … ”
“Everyone has a shadow, and no one can hide their shadow from me.”
Dale answered, and sat up straight.
“There is nothing more I can get from you. Your shadow has told the truth.”
As soon as he heard those words, Albert Julis’s expression froze. And only then did he understand the meaning embedded in those words.
“That, the Shadow Lord… … ?”
“Has the conflict between gold and shadow still not disappeared?”
The man asked back, and Albert Julis muttered.
“No way. The Shadow Lord, the Emperor of the Empire, is still in the Imperial Capital… … ”
And yet, it was impossible for two people to exist at the same time, claiming to have the name and power of the ‘Shadow Lord’.
“The Shadow rules the Empire, and now the Golden Lord is leading a revolution against it?”
The conflict between gold and shadow has continued since ancient times. Gold wins, shadow wins, gold wins again, and so the history of the empire repeats itself.
Still, the world has not changed.
“Gold and shadows mean nothing to me anymore. I am only interested in the legacy of the old empire.”
As he said that, the man got up.
Gold and shadow, beings who were granted power and destiny in the midst of an ancient conflict. But the man simply walked away, seemingly uninterested in anything.
“Let’s go, Miss Upi.”
“Yes, yes!”
After obtaining all the top secret information of the revolutionary army hidden in Albert’s shadow.
What on earth is this man’s true identity? And what on earth does he want?
Albert Julis, a member of the blood clan that rules the world from behind the scenes, trembled for the first time in his life at the fear of the unknown.
