Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Shadow Lord Stein (3)
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A spacious room ornately decorated.
Two men sat facing each other there.
Shadow Lord Stein Lanterte, who had possessed Kim Gunja, and the young emperor known as the Iron-Blooded Sovereign, Kasar Lanterte.
True to his title as the Iron-Blooded Sovereign, Kasar's expression was utterly impassive, as if not even a needle prick could draw a drop of blood.
But that facade only went as far as his face.
Beneath the table, Kasar's hands trembled faintly.
The being he had so deeply revered had returned.
'This... can't be real.'
He had definitely died.
They had poisoned him with every toxin imaginable at the resort, and Kasar had confirmed from afar how the Second Knight Order Captain's sword pierced his heart before he plummeted off the cliff.
Yet somehow, through some magic or sorcery, he had returned in an entirely different body.
Clink.
As Stein lifted his teacup to his lips, Kasar flinched.
The way he held the cup was exactly like the old days.
"No Abok poison this time, I see."
"Your safe return... is a relief."
Kasar could say no more, and Stein let out a smirk at his words.
Kasar's mind churned with complexity as he watched Stein.
'His power... is it the same as before?'
He had to kill him.
That thought circled endlessly, chased by the nagging doubt: 'But is that even possible?'
He was the man who, even after being dosed with Abok poison—lethal enough to drop a colossal monster like a basilisk—in addition to countless other toxins, had single-handedly faced thousands of soldiers and hundreds of knights.
If he still possessed that same prowess, the palace guards alone couldn't handle him.
And this time, he was immune to poison and had his shadow troops in tow.
There weren't many on the continent who could kill a man like that.
Mutual destruction might be the best outcome.
'If he had really come to fight... my head would already be rolling.'
That's why they were facing each other like this.
There was no gain in clashing with someone who clearly had no intent to fight.
As Kasar racked his brain for ways to persuade or appeal to sentiment,
Stein swept his gaze around the opulent room and spoke calmly.
"You've made it look quite presentable."
Kasar bit his lip at Stein's words.
They sounded like mockery.
Stein had never cared much for ostentation during his reign as lord.
He had poured all his energy into territorial expansion and internal affairs.
Coming from him, it felt like a reprimand.
Like he was saying to spend less time on frivolities and more on military and governance.
'Always... like this.'
Born the son of the perfect sovereign, he had lived his entire life in that shadow.
He had finally escaped it, and he couldn't go back to those days.
Indeed, when the chance came, he had to kill him by any means necessary.
With those thoughts brewing, Kasar probed Stein's intentions.
"I'll be direct. Have you returned to reclaim your throne?"
It was a question laced with faint hostility.
He had tried to hide it, but failed.
Stein felt a twinge of disappointment at the sight.
A reminder of the comparison.
To how Kim Gunja had perfectly concealed his fangs while dealing with the Hero Guild.
Stein didn't hide his own thoughts.
"You're still far from ready."
Grind.
Kasar's lips twisted, his hard-won composure cracking.
He was the sovereign now, in his own right.
Yet to Stein, he was still just a green boy.
As Kasar swallowed his rising fury to speak,
Stein slipped a hand into his bosom, and Kasar tensed, going on guard.
But instead of a dagger, Stein's hand held a scroll and a ring.
As he placed them on the table, Kasar's eyes widened.
The ring was the imperial seal, symbol of the emperor.
They had scoured every place Stein had stayed, but never found it.
Because of that, he still lacked full legitimacy from the nobles.
He never imagined seeing it like this.
"This is..."
"Unroll it."
Stein offered no further explanation.
Kasar unrolled the paper with suspicion.
His hands trembled faintly as he read.
Dukes to earls.
The fatal weaknesses of the powerful nobles who had been constant obstacles were listed.
"Some of the tougher ones for you don't have weaknesses listed."
"......"
"They'll all vanish tonight. Don't worry about it."
"...What do you mean?"
"It means I'll clear them out for you."
"You don't mean... the shadow troops...?"
Kasar knew well that the shadow troops' true value lay in assassination.
"After that, the shadow troops won't cross your path again. Nor will I. After tonight, you won't see either of us. So use my name. Spread word that the ghost of the progenitor stirred up a massacre and vanished."
Stein's appearance at the main gate was to fuel those rumors.
To remove the obstacles he couldn't in life and take the blame.
The reason for Stein's radical, even shocking actions was time.
He wanted to stay a few days and eliminate every hurdle.
But the possession had a strict time limit.
So he chose the most efficient, swiftest path.
He couldn't remove every pebble, but he could shatter the potential reefs.
"Why...?"
Confusion filled Kasar's eyes.
He couldn't comprehend Stein's actions with his own mind.
It was like..., like...
"A proper abdication ceremony is impossible, but we can at least make it look the part."
Stein rose, gripping the seal.
"Come forward and extend your hand."
Unable to resist the command, Kasar stood as if entranced and stepped before Stein.
Stein grasped his hand with a faint smile.
"At least now your hand feels like a man's."
"......"
Stein slipped the seal onto Kasar's finger himself.
That was the entire abdication.
Stein had never been one for formalities anyway.
"Now no one will doubt your legitimacy."
Stein released Kasar's hand.
Then, to honor his promise to Kim Gunja, he mentioned a few details about the treasure vault and statue.
Kasar answered obediently in his dazed state.
It was trivial compared to what Stein was doing.
"That's all. Our business is done."
Stein turned without hesitation and headed for the door.
Kasar stared at his retreating back with distrustful eyes.
He still couldn't believe it.
That it wasn't revenge... that he had truly returned to the capital for this reason.
'Is this really... the end?'
Kasar knew nothing.
Of how many long years Stein had endured for this very moment.
The attendants waiting outside swung open the massive doors at Stein's approach.
Rumble—
Standing before the wide-open doors, Stein murmured softly without turning back.
"......Become a good sovereign."
That was the end.
Kasar stared blankly at Stein's back through the narrowing door slit.
His lips moved several times, but no voice came.
He had never been taught what to say in a moment like this.
"Ah......"
He finally managed a sound, but the door was already shut.
A faint twitch crossed Kasar's face as he stared at the closed door.
The sovereign who had strived so hard to appear strong crumbled helplessly.
And that state lingered endlessly.
Until Stein's image faded from his retinas.
Though Stein walked away calmly, Kim Gunja—sharing his body—could feel it.
Stein wasn't as at peace about leaving his son behind as he seemed.
Yet he never looked back.
The man in the yellow helmet, Garzan, silently followed Stein.
He had been left behind because Garzan was needed to handle a few palace matters.
With Garzan at his side, Stein's progress was swift.
The two headed to a secret vault within the palace treasury that Stein had created himself.
Creeeak—
The palace treasury opened.
The vast interior glittered with piles of gold.
Stein strode past his mountain of gold without pause.
Creeeak—
Passing the first vault, they opened the second, filled to the brim with jewels.
The third held countless books, the fourth rare artifacts unique on the continent.
But Stein passed them all.
Finally, the fifth vault's door.
Unlike the ornate previous ones, it was dark and somber, engraved with a pattern.
A moon devouring the sun.
Jet-black aura from Stein's left foot dyed the pattern.
Rumble—
The door began to open amid a cloud of dust.
And there, neatly arrayed, were the finest artifacts Stein had collected from across the continent.
Kim Gunja understood Stein's words instantly.
Stein's coat, made from black dragon leather with a sub-space enchantment, couldn't hold everything here.
Stein calmly picked up artifacts one by one, explaining them.
Kim Gunja signaled his choices each time.
Stein stored them sequentially in the sub-space.
"A choice worthy of you."
"This one's unexpected."
"...For real? Well, whatever."
In that way, Stein personally emptied half the secret vault with his own hands.
They then moved straight to the palace gardens.
Passing paths thick with rose scent, they reached the center with the statue.
There, hunters in wretched states knelt bound.
Unlike the intel, the secret passage had been a trap.
It was the imperial palace, after all.
They wouldn't allow one intrusion without checking for others.
The hunters had attempted escape with desperate resolve but failed.
Half died; the rest surrendered.
Choosing capture to preserve their lives.
Placing their last hope on Kim Gunja, acting alone.
But they recoiled in shock upon spotting him approaching.
'Wh-why is Kim Gunja with them...?!'
'Did they catch Kim Gunja too? Our last hope...'
'But if he's caught, the vibe feels a bit off...'
Stein regarded them impassively.
They meant nothing to him.
But he knew Kim Gunja had invested in building his reputation.
So when Kasar mentioned capturing them, he claimed authority over their fate.
Not part of the negotiation, but a courtesy service.
For the master who fulfilled his wish.
Stein nodded to Garzan.
"Untie them!"
At Garzan's command, soldiers cut the knight-grade ropes binding the hunters.
The hunters blinked in bewilderment at the absurd turn.
'What the hell is going on?'
'Is that... really Kim Gunja? It looks like...'
'He's totally like their direct superior. What...'
Stein glanced at the hunters furtively eyeing from the corner and spoke toward the statue.
"My son wasn't this ugly."
He had received prior instructions on the statue's disposal.
That one phrase was enough.
For the knights long familiar with the palace to understand.
Vmmm—
Knights infused aura into prepared hammers and began smashing.
Boom! Crash! Bang!
The Iron-Blooded Sovereign statue lost its form.
The hunters could only gape.
Inconceivable that its guardians were destroying it themselves.
"Garzan."
"Yes."
"Be off."
"My lord..."
"You've served well all this time."
Stein had given Garzan ample funds from the treasury and hinted.
That after this, Garzan should live his own life.
"It was... my honor to serve."
Garzan bowed deeply in respect.
Stein nodded, and Garzan vanished like a ghost.
Regaining control of his body, Kim Gunja approached the hunters.
Coming to his senses first, Jang Geunhwan asked Kim Gunja.
"K-Kim Gunja? What the hell happened? Why did they...?"
"I persuaded them. Gladly, they listened."
"P-Persuasion...?"
The image of them charging at him unprovoked was still fresh, yet he called it persuasion?
As Jang Geunhwan gawked,
Rumble!
The statue was utterly demolished.
At that moment, a cheerful alert rang for Kim Gunja and the hunters.
The surroundings blurred like a mirage.
The new landscape was the foothills of a small mountain in Cheorwon County.
As the hunters emerged, waiting reporters cheered.
"Whoa! The expedition team's back!"
"Not even a day passed...!"
"Casualties are high! Stretchers here first...!"
Amid the commotion, the opaque barrier enveloping the area crumpled like cloth, spilling dozens of artifacts before the hunters.
"Wh-what?!"
"The byproducts are insane!"
"Whoa! Zone 79 expedition hits the jackpot!"
But contrary to the chatter, the hunters' faces weren't bright.
It was obvious who would claim that mountain of artifacts.
As team leader Choi Byungdu and the hunters glanced at Kim Gunja,
he publicly stated his intent.
"We all suffered together. I won't take it all. We'll split it fairly."
"R-really?"
"Of course."
The hunters beamed with broad smiles at Kim Gunja's grinning reply, erupting in cheers.
Reporters flashed cameras nonstop at the heartwarming scene, drafting headlines.
Kim Gunja did it partly for Geum Jinung, but truthfully, yielding all the byproducts wouldn't leave him regretting.
He had already secured top-tier artifacts via Stein.
Plus, unlike the others, he had extras granted separately.
It was an alert visible only to Kim Gunja.
In his hand was a new ring, one that was already attuned.
Ding!
Kim Gunja gazed down at the ring, his eyes flickering with anticipation.
'Mythic grade...? No way...'