Unveiling the Shadows
As expected from a duke, he knew how to talk. "You mean that succession ceremony or whatever."
I still didn't know exactly what a succession ceremony entailed.
But from the nuance, I could roughly guess.
It was probably some kind of ritual I had to perform to become the duke.
"Didn't you say I need recognition from that [Shadow] of yours?"
Right before my fight with Kaizen and Bella, the duke had said it clearly.
I glanced back at Mist, who was standing quietly behind me.
She was a member of [Shadow], too.
That's why I'd come to the duke for proper intel.
I needed to know how many there were in [Shadow].
"...Huh?"
Was my question that weird? The duke's reaction shifted subtly for a moment.
"What? Did you not know?"
"Know what? I just woke up and came straight here."
That look he gave me—like I should have known something obvious.
I clutched the throbbing side of my head under his gaze.
No, seriously—what was with this way of talking, skipping all the context and assuming I'd figure it out?
"Ah... I see."
Only then did he nod, as if finally understanding my reaction.
"Sorry about that. I figured you'd come here after grasping everything."
"...As if that were possible."
I had no idea what he took me for.
"That's why I'm here. First off, tell me about this [Shadow] you mentioned—the members, at least."
"Hmm..."
The duke stared at me quietly, then raised one skeletal hand—barely more than leather over bone.
Whumm.
Soon, I felt his mana stirring.
"Ah, don't worry—not attacking. Don't react."
"...You startled me."
I'd half-instinctively gathered smoke in my hand the moment I sensed his mana, so I dispersed it with those words.
Honestly, if he hadn't spoken first, I'd have attacked right then.
"Haha. Well, anything about [Shadow] is top-secret among top secrets."
With that, the mana he released began enveloping the entire room.
"Can't have anyone eavesdropping, right?"
"..."
I glanced around at his words.
Blocking sound with mana was surprisingly tough.
It required an enormous amount to make it thick enough.
To spread mana like that over this massive room...
Hard to believe a patient on death's door could pull it off.
"First, the regular members."
Your maid, Mist.
Karon and Nella, butlers and maid to Kaizen and Bella, respectively.
Head butler Sebastian.
That's four.
"And finally, the boss who commands them all. That's the full roster of [Shadow]."
"Hmm."
I stroked my chin, listening quietly.
I'd half-expected it.
The ones around Kaizen and Bella were probably [Shadow] members, too.
But still.
"That's awfully few, huh?"
Honestly, I'd figured at least double digits.
He'd called it an organization, and said himself that without their recognition, sitting in the duke's seat would be tough.
Numbers make an organization's strength, after all.
But this few?
Only one conclusion.
"Guess it's full of powerhouses beyond imagination."
I said that and took a sip of the black tea Mist had poured.
Creak.
"Correct."
The duke smiled faintly, affirming it.
"There's only one requirement to join [Shadow]."
A special ability?
Nah.
Assassination skills, then?
No, that was a given.
"It's like praising a pro painter for coloring well."
He raised a finger as he said it.
The condition for entering [Shadow] was surprisingly simple.
Assassinate a Master-level powerhouse.
"That's the entry condition for [Shadow]."
"..."
Such a concise sentence. But it contained a word too heavy to gloss over.
Master.
For knights, Sword Master.
For mages, Grand Mage.
Sure, modern training methods had made Masters more common than in the old days, but they were still humanity's acknowledged elite.
"Heh... Assassinating one of those is the entry test for [Shadow]?"
Since it's assassination, not everyone in [Shadow] might be Master-level.
It's killing, not beating, a Master.
From what I'd overheard, top assassins could take out foes two ranks above them.
If true, [Shadow] members were at least Expert Upper to Top.
No—given the condition, minimum Expert Top.
"Exactly. Call it assassination or whatever—kill a Master-level powerhouse, fair fight or dirty tricks. That's the bar."
The duke said it casually.
"Well, makes sense."
I got why I needed [Shadow]'s recognition.
Without it, five Master-killers would be off the leash. Obviously, I needed their buy-in.
The duke nodded at my words and continued.
"Yeah. And things have gone smoother than expected."
"Hm?"
"After your fight with those two bastards, Sebastian and Nella sent word—they acknowledge you."
Click.
He sipped black tea from a wooden stem conjured by his illusion, voice nonchalant.
"Figured you knew that and came to see me."
"Hmm... But what about that boss you mentioned?"
"..."
"It's an organization, right? The boss's opinion matters most."
At my question, the duke gave a wry smile and glanced at Mist behind me.
"Sigh... Fine. You'll find out anyway—might as well say it."
He stared at Mist a moment, sighed, and spoke resignedly.
"...There's one condition to become [Shadow]'s boss."
Only one who bears Nebula blood may take that seat.
"What...?"
Bears the blood?
Wait. That means...
"The current [Shadow] boss—that child—is of Nebula blood."
One question had nagged me since arriving here.
The Nebula Ducal House was in crisis, no doubt.
Direct line wiped out in mutual slaughter.
No meaningful collaterals due to their unique bloodline—hanging off a cliff.
Hence calling in bastards to succeed.
But their handling of the bastards was sloppier than needed.
The selection trials brutal, yet no rush to train the chosen ones.
Unless...?
"My granddaughter."
Nebula blood—direct descendant blood—hadn't run out.
That explained their leisure.
Dark room.
Click.
A shadowy figure moved about.
Bubble. Bubble.
A beaker full of ominous purple liquid.
The figure before it carefully dripped in something yellow, contrasting the violet.
Crack!
[...Ah.]
The mixture erupted in blinding light.
She sighed softly, pinpointing the cause.
Karon wanted more destructive power over range—but she'd gotten the opposite.
Failure.
"Well, don't worry too much—she's a good kid."
The duke sighed deeply and continued.
"Get picked as [Shadow]'s head, and barring major issues, ascending to duke is impossible."
That was Nebula tradition.
"But knowing that, she gave up all privileges and joined [Shadow] herself."
Renouncing innate privileges was harder than imagined.
The duke knew it well, so he seemed softer toward the [Shadow] head.
"Unlike the others, the head's role is natural loyalty to the house head—no separate recognition needed."
"...So just Karon left?"
"Pretty much."
I pondered at his affirmation.
Sebastian and Nella pledged loyalty after the fight.
Unlike them, Karon stayed silent.
What to do about that guy?
The duke's voice reached my ear as I mulled it.
"Oh, and the succession ceremony? Even if we do it, you won't become house head right away."
Twitch.
For the record, that twitch wasn't me—it was Mist behind me.
"Just announcing the heir. Not handing over the seat."
Twitch.
Again—not me, Mist.
"Why?"
"...The empire's mess right now—less hassle this way."
He explained the imperial situation.
Emperor in old age, successor undecided—total chaos.
Nobles pulling strings for their backed princes, no holds barred.
"My condition's the only shield keeping things quiet."
Without it, silence wouldn't last.
"New duke shows up? Headache city."
A 20-something bastard as new Nebula house head?
Prime target for princes and nobles.
"Ah, got it."
His explanation made my head nod on its own.
And for some reason, as I nodded, Mist's shoulders seemed to relax a bit.