Chapter 240
Chapter Title: The Shadow King
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*Step—step—*
The long, endless corridor of the Shan Imperial Palace.
Leo was walking through it.
His guide was the captain of the Imperial Guard, the same man who had greeted him moments before.
He was a Guardian.
A shadow operating in secret to defend against the invasion of Tartaros.
Of course, being the captain of the Imperial Guard was an excessively conspicuous position.
But this man's skill was far too great to be wasted as a mere captain of the Imperial Guard.
*‘He’s as strong as the professors at Lumerne.’*
Most professors at Lumerne were powerhouses, skilled enough to accomplish feats worthy of the Hero Record.
To see such a person serving as the captain of the Imperial Guard without making a name for himself truly spoke to Shan's reputation as the Nation of Shadows.
*Thump!*
Just then, the guard captain stopped walking.
They had arrived before a massive door at the end of the corridor.
The door was as black as jet.
For a moment, it could have been mistaken for a giant hole.
“This is the place.”
As the guard captain spoke, the door slid open with a *shhhh-!*
Beyond the door lay pitch-black darkness.
A darkness that would make any living being feel uneasy.
As the darkness, untouched even by moonlight, spread out, Fritz’s expression grew wary.
But Leo stepped forward without a hint of hesitation.
“Lord Leo… No, senior.”
Fritz looked flustered.
Jane also stared at Leo with surprised eyes.
The jet-black darkness before them was so profound that it instilled fear even in the two shadow trainees.
The guard captain’s eyes gleamed as he watched Leo’s back.
Fritz quickly tried to follow Leo.
But the guard captain reached out and stopped him.
“Only Lord Leo Flove may have an audience with His Imperial Majesty.”
At those words, Leo looked back and said,
“I'll be back.”
*Step—step—*
Leo vanished into the darkness.
*Shhhh— Thooom!*
The door closed with a heavy sound.
In the pitch-black darkness where nothing was visible, Leo did not hesitate to walk forward.
His keen senses were not swallowed by the darkness.
If anything, they grew even sharper.
Humans instinctively fear the dark.
But for Leo, who had lived through the Age of Calamity, darkness was not something to be feared.
*‘It’s rather familiar, actually.’*
*Step—step—*
In the silent darkness, the sound of his footsteps echoed loudly.
*Fwoosh!*
Just then, a flame ignited beside Leo.
A candle had been lit.
Leo’s red eyes glinted in the darkness.
*Fwoosh— Fwoosh— Fwoosh—*
Starting with that one, the candles in the room began to light up one by one.
The darkness receded, revealing the room's interior.
The room was filled with all sorts of extravagant items.
Luxurious furniture decorated with gold and various jewels.
And an array of art pieces of all kinds lined the room.
It gave a strong impression of being haphazard.
A cluttered room with no semblance of unity.
One wall was even lined with countless weapons.
And in the center of that room.
A handsome, well-built, middle-aged man was lying on his side on a massive bed, propping his head up with one hand.
He was scratching his calf with one foot while waving a folding fan in his free hand.
The man, dressed in traditional red Shan attire, looked directly at Leo with his black eyes and spoke.
“Are you Leo Flove?”
“Are you His Majesty, the Emperor of Shan?”
“I am Shaou, the 74th Emperor of Shan.”
His emotionless black eyes stared straight at Leo.
That alone exuded an overwhelming pressure that dominated the room.
Shaou's very presence seemed to weigh down the air.
He was not a hero, but he was stronger than any other hero, save for the Sword Saint.
“Come closer, will you?”
At Shaou's call, Leo approached him.
He closed the distance until they were about three meters apart.
Shaou fiddled with his magnificent beard and said,
“A pretty face, and the student council president of Lumerne at such a young age… You must be popular. You. Haven't you already made a few girls cry?”
To that out-of-the-blue question, Leo answered calmly.
“Lumerne prohibits improper relationships between students.”
At that, Shaou's eyes widened.
“What kind of rule is that! You've got kids at that vigorous age all in one place, and you're telling me nothing happens! They must all be meeting in secret, right!”
Leo stared blankly at the shouting Shaou.
Anyone else would have been dumbfounded.
The Emperor of Shan, the so-called Nation of Shadows, had another title: the Shadow King.
Although he had never been listed in the Hero Record, he was a being acknowledged as having skill equal to the greatest heroes of his time.
The strongest shadow, an emperor who rarely showed himself to the outside world.
A mysterious dark hero who existed but could not be met.
A being defined by cruel, immense power and a fearsome charisma.
That was the Emperor of Shan.
And such a being was suddenly grilling a boy he had just met about his love life.
It was enough to fluster anyone, but Leo didn't bat an eye.
“Have you really not dated any girls?”
“I've only been studying hard.”
“A boring honor student, I see. Still, I suppose that's a passing grade.”
*‘A passing grade for what?’*
Shaou, smiling meaningfully, waved his folding fan.
“My apologies for the awkward questions. Being the Emperor of Shan is a tedious position, you see.”
He said calmly.
“It's rare to have visitors. Most people fear me.”
Stroking his chin, Shaou curled his lips into a smile.
“That is why having my daughter's friend visit like this is a great pleasure for me.”
Shaou looked directly at Leo.
“So, have you come to take Xia?”
“Yes.”
“Xia chose to become a shadow of her own free will. Are you saying you intend to persuade her otherwise?”
“If that were Chen Xia's pure intention, it would be none of my business, but.”
Leo looked straight into Shaou's black eyes.
“If it was a choice made while shouldering various burdens, I will take her with me.”
“Why go to such lengths? You and Xia are merely school friends, nothing more special than that, I would think?”
“Because Chen Xia will become one of the heroes who will be the cornerstone for destroying Tartaros.”
“The world is teeming with hero candidates. And even the great heroes of history could not achieve the feat of destroying Tartaros.”
Shaou scoffed.
“And yet you speak of Tartaros's destruction as if it's a certainty. Don't you think that's arrogant?”
“Not at all.”
Seeing Leo retort with a casual smile, Shaou narrowed his eyes.
*‘Come to think of it, didn't he say he would completely destroy Erebos?’*
He had spoken of that ridiculously absurd goal in front of all his classmates.
*‘And now, about a year later, what has this boy become? In just one year, he has risen to the position of Lumerne's student council president and is regarded as the hero candidate who will carry the next generation after the Sword Saint.’*
Shaou closed his eyes.
*‘They say immature bravado is a privilege of the young… but in his case, it doesn’t feel like bravado.’*
“Are you saying you'll drag a child born as a shadow out into the world?”
“Yes. So, will you let me meet Chen Xia? If she refuses even after I try to persuade her, I will give up cleanly.”
“In that case, I have all the more reason not to let you meet Xia.”
Leo's eye twitched.
“Because if she hears you speak now, that child will surely choose the path of a hero.”
Shaou sighed and opened his eyes.
“That child has admired heroes since she was young.”
Shaou rose to his feet.
“Leo Flove, I have watched many heroes from the shadows. Heroes are, by definition, special beings. Noble souls who would sacrifice their lives for the world.”
*Thud.*
Stepping off the bed, Shaou walked toward Leo.
Leo looked up at Shaou, who seemed to be a head and a half taller than him.
*Ssk—*
The tip of his massive finger pointed toward Leo.
“I see it now. Among them, you are very special.”
Shaou's black eyes took in Leo.
“The world calls you the hero who will succeed Lord Kalian… but that's not how I see it.”
Shaou's eyes narrowed.
“Three thousand years ago, equal to the founders of the hero academies… or perhaps even greater. You might become a great being on par with a Great Hero.”
Leo looked up at Shaou without a word.
“That is why I cannot let you meet Xia. To that child, who has lived her entire life in darkness, you are too brilliant a light. She would be blinded by it.”
*Flump!*
Shaou returned to the bed, sat down, and said.
“A hero is a hero, a shadow is a shadow. Do not cross that line.”
“Are you saying we live in different worlds?”
“Precisely.”
Shaou grinned.
“Chen Xia is the talent who will fulfill Shan's long-cherished wish.”
“To have her name listed in the Hero Record as a shadow?”
“So you know. Reina. Did she tell you?”
“Is that so important?”
“It is.”
Shaou chuckled.
“For our clan, not being acknowledged by the gods is a curse, akin to a brand.”
In every era, shadows are necessary.
And the imperial family of the Shan Empire has lived as shadows for thousands of years.
Of course, they didn't live as shadows seeking acknowledgment.
They maintained their clan's legitimacy for thousands of years because it was a job someone had to do.
Perhaps because they have been ignored by the gods all that time, they desire it all the more.
The acknowledgment of the gods.
“Isn't there a way to escape the duty of a shadow?”
“As descendants of the proud Shadow King, Bihar, we cannot.”
“Bihar?”
Leo paused at the familiar name.
“Yes. A great shadow active since the Age of Calamity… one who did not leave his name in history.”
*‘That Bihar?’*
Just as Leo was surprised to learn about the origins of the Shan Empire.
“Besides, leaving Xia as a shadow would be a good thing for your future self, would it not?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Xia is the child who will one day carry Shan on her shoulders.”
Shaou gave Leo a sly look.
“And the goal you wish to achieve aligns with another of Shan's aspirations. Xia will follow you as a shadow. The great nation of Shan itself will become yours.”
“What does Chen Xia following me have to do with the Shan Empire?”
“…Are you an idiot?”
Shaou looked at Leo with a disgruntled expression.
“Did you really not know that Xia has feelings for you?”
“Oh, is that so?”
Leo remarked, as if mildly surprised.
Seeing Leo take the news more dryly than expected, Shaou's face contorted even more.
“Now that you know, why are you so nonchalant? Is my daughter that unattractive!”
“How can I see a child as a romantic prospect?”
“Xia is older than you, you know?”
Leo shrugged at Shaou's dumbfounded expression.
What does it matter if she's older on the outside?
*‘I’m an old man on the inside.’*
At Leo's indifferent attitude, Shaou momentarily clutched the back of his neck.
*‘What the hell is with this kid?’*
Because she was the daughter who had to bear the clan's aspirations, he couldn't support her dream.
But that didn't mean he didn't love his daughter.
She was the apple of his eye.
And yet, this was his reaction!
“Anyway, please let me meet Chen Xia.”
“I refuse.”
Shaou looked at Leo and said.
“While you are in Shan, you are an honored guest. We will treat you with the utmost courtesy, but you will not be able to meet Xia.”
“What if I decide to meet her by force?”
At Leo's words, Shaou's lips curled into a smirk.
“Go on and try. Though a person who lives in the light can never find one who lives in the darkness.”