Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: The Shadow Valkyrie
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Wandering the continent with just a single sword and no companions is a suicidal act. Even in a world where legendary knights could slaughter dozens, even hundreds, with a single blade.
Furthermore, the probability of this 'traveler' being that skilled was close to zero. Logically speaking, there was no reason for someone of that caliber to be wandering around in such a shabby state.
The Marcel Mountains in the southern part of the Empire, which blocked the way to Guild City.
That was why the 'Greenwood' bandits, who had made their camp there, did not hesitate. They blocked the traveler in the black robe and drew their weapons to rob him of his possessions.
He didn't necessarily need to have valuable gold coins.
Guild City, located beyond the southern Marcel Mountains.
There, a living person was a very expensive commodity. In that sense, the Greenwood bandits were no different from subcontractors who periodically delivered 'goods' to Guild City.
And with the tacit approval of the Grand Guilds, their business was thriving.
“Heh, look at this fearless one.”
At least, that was the case until that very 'traveler' came to them.
“Stepping into our territory so fearlessly... you must be a visitor from out of town, eh?”
“Yep, that's right! And what rotten luck you have!”
The Greenwood gang chuckled, but the traveler remained silent. In the pouring sunlight, the shadow cast by his hood was incredibly dark.
“...It seems you're running a human trafficking business here.”
The robed traveler spoke.
His voice was somewhat young, a fact not apparent from his appearance.
“...!”
But his utterly confident demeanor cast a momentary silence over the Greenwood gang. Not many could remain so composed in front of bandits.
“Then again, what's the point of a long chat with mere small fry.”
The traveler, Dale of Sachsen, muttered. As if it didn't matter.
“Y-You bastard...!”
The wariness among the Greenwood gang subsided. The silence was also short-lived.
A bandit holding an axe kicked off the ground and charged forward.
*Slice!*
In that same instant, the Greenwood gang couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
The arm holding the axe was simply gone. Blood spurted from the severed limb, but that wasn't the end. A 'thread of blood' wrapped around the bandit's body. It ran from the crown of his head, down his lips and neck, in a straight line from his chest to his groin.
Immediately after, another 'thread of blood' was drawn, and soon, dozens of bloody lines were wrapped around his body.
*Thump!*
The bandit's body began to crumble, like hundreds of diced cubes. Like the opening scene of the movie *Cube*, without even a moment to writhe in pain or scream.
“F-From the shadow...”
Watching their comrade collapse into diced cubes, a member of the Greenwood gang muttered.
“A-A monster came out...!”
Before they knew it, a tangible shadow had taken form beside Dale.
It wasn't a monster, but the silhouette of a person.
Beneath a black helmet, hair as black and dark as jet fluttered.
She was armed in the black armor symbolizing a Night Raven Knight, and in her hand was a knight's sword, unstained by a single drop of blood. This was no ordinary Night Raven Knight. This was a peak combatant who had taken a vow of silence, protecting House Sachsen from the shadows.
She cared nothing for the nobility or virtues of a knight, not hesitating to become an assassin with a killing sword when necessary... the strongest knightly force, wielded strictly in the Sachsen way.
《Grave Guard》... Orelia was there.
Lady Shadow.
A female knight loyal not to House Sachsen, but completely to Dale, from within his shadow.
That day, Orelia had chosen of her own will to become Dale's shadow. By accepting both her own shadow and Shub's darkness through *The Book of the Black Goat*.
That was the contract made between the 'Ancient Mother of Darkness' and the Holy Maiden Orelia, and in Orelia's current form, the noble Holy Maiden could no longer be found.
“They are people who must be killed. Kill them all.”
“As my lord commands.”
Dale spoke. Orelia did not hesitate. She kicked off the ground and charged, her sword swinging once more. Flesh, blood, and bone scattered. With every life she took, an ecstatic pleasure surged through the tip of her blade.
“Please, please spare me...!”
The screams begging for life were so enjoyable, she couldn't bear it. *Is this what pleasure is?*
“Ah...”
The ecstasy of slaughter. Like a child who knows no emotions, slowly learning about the world.
Freed from the divine shackles, Orelia was facing the world with her own desires and will. Without turning away from her own darkness and shadow.
How much of it was her own will, and how much was the darkness that had tainted her from *The Book of the Black Goat*? It no longer mattered.
In the end, the Holy Maiden Orelia's prayers never reached the goddess. The 'Black Prince' had driven the Holy Maiden to ruin, and in that ruin, he had extended a hand. That day, the Holy Maiden Orelia made a deal with the devil.
In exchange for the Empire's ruin.
Amidst the bandits' pleas for their lives, Orelia's sword swung.
The Black Sword of Sachsen, wreathed in a jet-black aura blade.
* * *
The Greenwood fortress.
A black valkyrie was slaughtering the Greenwood bandits. In that avatar, who could possibly recall the noble Holy Maiden of the Britannian Isles?
She had no pure white wings of light, no trace of brilliant, noble gold. There was only an unconcealable ecstasy in every swing of her sword.
That day, it had been her decision alone to face her own shadow through *The Book of the Black Goat*. And that decision had made her who she was now.
The Black Holy Maiden, Lady Shadow.
The hem of the black valkyrie's cloak writhed and rose like a living creature. Much like Dale's 'shadow cloak.' It formed into jet-black skewers, impaling the bandits' bodies from all directions.
Blood splattered.
“Ah, ahhh...”
Dale walked toward the Greenwood leader, who had collapsed in terror.
“I have something to ask.”
“P-Please, ask!”
At Dale's words, the Greenwood leader fell to his knees and begged.
“Are there any of Guild City's 'Grand Guilds' in contact with you?”
Officially, the Grand Guilds claimed to be guilds for finance, textiles, commerce, or law... but at the same time, each one had its hands in all sorts of criminal enterprises that could not be publicly disclosed. Through Guild City's network, which held sway over the entire continent.
In other words, it would be no exaggeration to say that Guild City itself was one giant criminal organization.
A scale incomparable to the thief guild 'Kaleidoscope' that had once attacked Dale.
Even the Black Magic Tower of the past was said to have periodically received 'test subjects' from them.
Therefore, aside from entering as a customer of the Black Market, he had to find a way into the darkness of Guild City, into its deepest recesses.
“I-I know! Of course I know!”
The Greenwood leader pleaded desperately.
“Th-There are people who come regularly to pick up the slaves we capture! I-I know them!”
“Good. I'm glad to hear you know.”
Dale said. The black valkyrie had already sheathed her sword. Behind her lay corpses scattered everywhere.
The terrified leader wet himself, and Dale added as if to reassure him.
“Because that information will be your lifeline.”
* * *
A few days later. When someone from Guild City came to the Greenwood fortress to pick up their regular 'goods'.
“...!”
Faced with the horrific scene before him, he was left speechless.
There was a man in a robe.
Dressed in a black robe, its hem fluttering ominously where there was not even a breeze. In the pouring sunlight, the shadow under his hood was deep and dark.
And next to him, the Greenwood leader was kneeling, trembling.
*'W-What happened...?'*
At first, he couldn't grasp the situation. Had a subjugation force from another region besides Guild City come to wipe them out? Then who on earth was that man?
“I must say, I'm truly amazed by Guild City's 'business diversification'.”
The man spoke, lowering his hood. From beneath it, the face of a child who had not yet shed his youthful features was revealed.
“This is perfect.”
But the moment he saw the 'skull ornament' in the boy's hand, a fear that chilled his blood gripped his heart. It was an invitation to the Black Market. From a being of a level that someone of his low rank couldn't even dream of approaching.
The fact that a mere twelve-year-old boy was holding it meant only one thing.
The greatest genius in the Empire. No, the monster of House Sachsen, whose fame surpassed even that.
“L-Lord Dale of House Sachsen...!”
“D-Don't tell me this band of thieves was rude to you, my lord...!”
The man from Guild City asked cautiously, and Dale nodded.
“For the disrespect they had to answer for, I have made them pay a fitting price.”
Dale said.
*Shunk!*
At the same time, a jet-black sword rose from the shadow at his feet. Toward the Greenwood leader, who was kneeling and trembling.
The black sword emerged from the shadow and vanished back into it.
“Gack, keuk...!”
His throat was slit, and blood gushed out.
“However, the reason I sought you out here.”
Sachsen's 'Black Prince' continued, unconcerned.
“Is because, separate from being a customer of the Black Market, I am here as the 'representative of the Master of the Black Magic Tower'...”
In a voice devoid of any emotion.
“I have matters to discuss with the Grand Guilds of Guild City.”
“W-With the Grand Guilds...!”
“Fortunately, the person who will take me to the Grand Guilds is right in front of me.”
“...!”
Representative of the Master of the Black Magic Tower. At Dale's words, the man from Guild City swallowed hard.
*'D-Don't tell me he's here to make a deal to supply the Black Magic Tower with 'test subjects' again?'*
There was no denying that, in the past, the Black Magic Tower had been one of Guild City's biggest clients. And so, amid his fear, the man from Guild City smiled.
“V-Very well!”
It was the unique business smile that never faltered, no matter the situation.
“Since the young lord of House Sachsen, and furthermore, the representative of the Master of the Black Magic Tower, has come to us...”
He began making quick calculations in his head.
“Our Grand Guilds of Guild City must, of course, show the proper courtesy.”