Chapter 249
Chapter Title: The Book of Shadows
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“The Book of Shadows…?”
Shaou stared at the Hero Record before him, his expression one of disbelief.
It wasn't just a page or a fragment, but a complete Hero Record—one of only five known to exist in the world.
3,000 years ago.
After the Second Coming of the Calamity, the Hero Record was split into five.
Since then, every race had filled the pages of their respective records with the deeds of their own people.
But now, a sixth Hero Record had appeared.
And it was called the Hero Record of Shadows.
For a moment, he wondered if it was a fake.
However, as the Emperor of Shan, he had seen a Hero Record several times before.
He couldn't deny that the one before him was genuine.
With trembling hands, he turned the page.
And when he saw the name recorded on the very first page, he couldn't help but hold his breath.
[Hero of the Beginning, Kyle]
The first page of the Hero Record, inscribed with the title "Book of Shadows."
There, he found the name of Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning.
He touched Kyle's name with his finger.
Ripples spread across the page, and Kyle's record materialized.
*This…*
Shaou's eyes wavered.
*The identity of the first Shadow… was the Hero of the Beginning?*
5,000 years ago.
After the Hero Record first appeared on the earth.
It was the record of the first Shadow, the one Bihar had separated from the Hero Record and entrusted to his descendants.
The owner of that nameless record was none other than Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning.
“The Great Hero… was a Shadow?”
Seeing Shaou's incredulous expression, Leo spoke.
“Back in that era, distinctions like 'hero' or 'shadow' probably didn't exist.”
Shaou looked at Leo.
“I believe the Hero of the Beginning simply did what needed to be done.”
“…”
Shaou closed Kyle's record and turned the page.
His hand tightened when he saw the name Bihar there.
When he first saw the title "Book of Shadows," he'd had a fleeting suspicion.
*This is… the Hero Record of the Shadows.*
It wasn't just Bihar.
Living in the darkness.
The records of the Shadows who did not hesitate to sacrifice themselves for the world were written here.
Every deed of the Shadows that Shan had chronicled for so long was recorded in this Hero Record.
“Why, all of a sudden…”
“It could be a small whim of the gods. Or if not that.”
Leo smiled at Shaou.
“It might be their way of telling you to stop looking down on yourselves.”
“…”
“After all, the gods aren't likely to acknowledge those who don't even believe in themselves.”
“Heh… heheheh.”
Shaou covered his face with his hands.
“Bwahahahahaha!”
He couldn't help but burst into laughter.
The sharp rebuke from a hero candidate, whom he thought couldn't possibly understand their darkness, struck him to the core.
Shadows step into the darkness for their own reasons.
Some, like the Shadows of Shan, were born into it.
Others chose to become Shadows for their own personal reasons.
All of them step into the pool of blood out of conviction.
None of them regret it.
But…
*They lament the fact that, in the end, they cannot receive the gods' recognition.*
Some resent the gods.
Many others close their eyes for the last time, despairing that they became a Shadow.
Even those who don't go that far still disparage themselves, believing Shadows are separate from the glory of the gods.
Shaou was no different.
*Of course. The gods would never acknowledge such people.*
Shan, with its thousands of years of history, couldn't let go of its obsession with the Hero Record, yet the belief that they could never become heroes was deeply ingrained.
They couldn't abandon their obsession with getting their names into the Hero Record through the ways of a Shadow.
*It's a contradiction.*
He had known it, yet denied it.
Only after finally seeing this Hero Record could he accept it.
“How foolish I've been.”
Shaou clenched his fists.
Then he looked at Leo.
“Leo. What… what are you?”
He had already received reports about Leo.
*They said he moved like a shadow in the darkness. And he undid our ancestor's seal.*
He had released the Aura seal that only a direct descendant of Bihar could undo.
*The first Shadow was the Hero of the Beginning, Lord Kyle. And Leo Flove is the second All-Class after Lord Kyle.*
Shaou's eyes narrowed.
*Furthermore, the Hero Record that had been erased regained its name when Leo Flove touched it. And when he touched it… the Shadows finally had their names recorded. Could this truly be a coincidence?*
Since the dawn of the Age of Heroes.
This boy, whose existence was nothing short of unprecedented.
As Shaou gazed into Leo's red eyes, he watched the corners of Leo's mouth curl upward.
Shaou found that smile playful.
But it wasn't the mischievous smile of a boy Leo's age.
It was a knowing, almost sly smile like that of an adult, one that carried a strange sense of pressure.
“…!”
Shaou's eyes widened.
But he soon closed them.
He took a deep breath and rose from his seat.
As if to accept his will, he bowed his head low.
“You are… Shan's… no, the benefactor of all Shadows.”
Shaou said in a trembling voice.
“If you ever need the power of Shan, just say the word. We will risk everything to help you.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
Leo bowed his head and left the audience chamber.
*Thud—*
Slumping back into his seat, Shaou looked down at his sweat-drenched hands.
He had learned a tremendous secret.
*…A god. The god of Shadows.*
Shaou let out a hollow laugh.
He now understood why the era had begun to shift.
*The world is about to face a great upheaval.*
The subjugation of the Demon Queen.
And the birth of the Hero Record of Shadows.
*And the revival of the Great Hero.*
If these facts became known to the world, it would surely descend into chaos.
*For now, it's best to keep the Book of Shadows a secret.*
Even with the Hero Record, manifesting the World of Heroes through the Book of Shadows would be extremely difficult.
Many Shadows vanish from the world without leaving behind any mementos, let alone descendants.
As such, there were few keys to open the World of Heroes and inherit their power.
*But the number of worlds to inherit will gradually increase.*
Shaou's eyes gleamed.
*Until Leo Flove makes his move in earnest, Shan will remain as his shadow.*
With that thought, Shaou raised his head.
*Step—*
As Chen Xia appeared, bathed in moonlight, Shaou gave a wry smile.
“I have done you a great wrong.”
“It was the path I chose, wasn't it?”
Looking at his daughter's gentle smile, Shaou set down the Book of Shadows.
“It's not my place to say this as your foolish father… but go and follow your dreams now.”
“I intend to.”
“But remember this one thing.”
Shaou looked his daughter directly in the eyes.
“One day, Shan will be yours. Never forget that.”
“Yes.”
With a soft smile, Chen Xia vanished into the darkness.
Watching her disappear, Shaou gazed up at the moonlight.
“Is the dawn finally approaching for the Shadows?”
***
“Ah! To think I couldn't witness Senior Leo's heroic feats with my own two eyes! How tragic!”
“Could you stop being so dramatic?”
Inside Leo's room, Fritz was banging his head on the floor while Jayne looked on with an expression of pure exasperation.
Tartaros had apparently vanished right after Xian died at Leo's hands.
*Now that Xian is dead, they must have decided there was more to lose than to gain by staying.*
Leo opened a subspace and took out bandages and potions to treat his wounds, placing them on the desk.
Seeing this, Fritz shot up from his spot.
“Senior Leo, allow me the honor of treating your wounds…!”
Just as Fritz adjusted his glasses, his eyes gleaming…
*Knock, knock—*
A soft knock sounded, and the door opened to reveal Chen Xia.
“Your Highness!”
Jayne's face brightened as she approached Chen Xia.
“I'm so glad you're safe!”
“I'm glad you're safe too, Jayne.”
After patting the teary-eyed Jayne's head, Chen Xia looked at Fritz.
“You're safe as well.”
“Thanks to Senior Leo.”
Fritz bowed his head.
Smiling at the two of them, Chen Xia turned her gaze to Leo.
“You're looking much better.”
“It's all thanks to Young Master Leo.”
Smiling brightly, Chen Xia spoke to Fritz and Jayne.
“You two, I'd like to speak with Young Master Leo alone for a moment… would that be alright?”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“But I have a duty to help heal Senior Leo's wounds…”
“Don't you dare talk back! Come on!”
Jayne grabbed Fritz by the collar and dragged him away.
Fritz tried to shake off Jayne's grip, but as a student of the magic department, he couldn't break free from the strength of a knight department student.
“Such brute force.”
“Are you done talking?!”
“Not even close.”
Jayne glared daggers and yelled, while Fritz just smirked coldly.
*Click—*
Once the door closed and they were alone, Chen Xia blinked her large eyes and spoke.
“Should I help you with your wounds?”
“Would you?”
Leo took off his shirt.
Chen Xia had received healing from a healer right after the incident concluded, but Leo hadn't been able to, due to his meeting with Shaou.
The Grand Duke of Funerals, the Shadow Undead, and then Xian.
The successive battles had left Leo's body a mess.
Scabs of dried blood were stuck to him all over.
Seeing this, Chen Xia carefully used her Water Aura to wash Leo's body.
As Leo sat in a chair, she opened a potion bottle and soaked a towel with it.
“I wish I had a healing Aura like Miss Nella.”
“You weren't the type to lament abilities you don't have.”
“The thought just occurred to me. Water Aura is an element well-suited for awakening healing abilities, after all.”
Chen Xia smiled wryly as she carefully cleaned the wounds on Leo's back.
“It's because I have a feeling you'll be getting hurt a lot from now on, Young Master Leo.”
“I'm sure I will. We'll be fighting together a lot, too. It would be nice, but you don't need to worry about it. You are who you are.”
*I always want to stand right behind you, Young Master Leo.*
Hearing Leo's words, Chen Xia gave a bitter smile inwardly.
“Thank you so much for stopping Xian, Young Master Leo.”
“I just did what had to be done.”
If left alone, Xian would have grown into a villain who threatened many heroes.
And no matter how evil the opponent, it was a bitter experience to watch a relative execute their own kin.
“There's no need to thank me.”
“No. There are plenty of other things to thank you for.”
Chen Xia's voice trembled slightly.
“Thank you. For affirming the dream that even I had denied.”
Chen Xia's hand paused.
“Thank you. For showing me the light to move forward.”
It might have been nothing to Leo.
But he had pulled Chen Xia out of the darkness.
“You are my savior, Young Master Leo.”
“I'll pass on such a grand title. It feels like a burden.”
Leo replied nonchalantly.
At his words, Chen Xia couldn't help but let out a laugh.
She had known him for a year, but he was a truly nonchalant person.
Chen Xia's hands began to move again.
After carefully cleaning Leo's wounds with the potion-soaked towel, she applied more potion to a bandage and wrapped it around his body.
*When I first saw him, there wasn't much of a difference.*
The first time she had spoken with Leo was around this time last year.
A year ago, Leo still had the air of a young boy.
But looking at him like this, she realized he had grown up so much in just one year.
*Why did Young Master Leo come to save me?*
A fresh wave of curiosity washed over her.
*Because we're friends?*
*That's probably the biggest reason.*
Even as she thought that, her heart fluttered a little.
*Or maybe… because he thinks of me as something more than a friend?*
She had grown very close to Leo over the past year.
“Young Master Leo, why did you come for me?”
She asked, her voice tinged with a hint of expectation.
At her question, Leo turned to look back at her.
Their eyes met, and Chen Xia smiled softly.
“You were being arrogant.”
“Huh?”
The completely unexpected answer left Chen Xia flustered.
“You're still just a kid. How much of the world have you even seen? It's arrogant to be spouting such bleak nonsense about how you can't be a hero.”
Chen Xia made a sour face.
“I'm older than you, Young Master Leo.”
“What does age matter? You act like a kid.”
Leo chuckled and stood up.
“Is that the reason you came for me?”
Leo nodded at Chen Xia, who looked utterly dumbfounded.
Seeing Leo's sly grin, Chen Xia sighed.
“That reason is so absurd I feel my energy draining away.”
Chen Xia stood up with a pout.
Leo turned back to her and flicked her forehead with his fingertip.
“Kids should dream like kids.”
The flick was stronger than she expected, and Chen Xia clutched her forehead, stumbling back.
Just then, the predawn darkness faded, and the sun began to rise.
With the bright dawn light at his back, Leo smiled maturely.
Looking at Leo, who was younger than her yet treating her like a complete child, Chen Xia's face flushed red.
“Young Master Leo, do you realize how much like an old man you sound right now?!”
“Yeah, I probably sound like some old geezer.”
“No… that's not what I meant…”
*It's more like… he has the air of a mature man, something dandy about him. That's the feeling I get…*
For some reason, she found the sight of Leo against the dawn light incredibly alluring, and she gave a helpless laugh.
*Do I have a thing for older guys?*