Book 1 Chapter 237
237
Drip- drop- Shwaaaa-!
Pat-pat- The rain began to fall.
Corpses lay scattered all over the rural village.
In the middle of it all, a girl was walking.
The cold spring rain washed over the ground.
Drip- drip-
Red drops fell from her body.
“Cough- hack!”
Someone clad in dark clothes was spitting up blood.
Chen Xia looked down at him, the sole survivor, and spoke.
“You are executed for conspiring with Tartarus.”
“Hehehe- How vicious.”
The man, gravely wounded, let out a scoff.
“I'm almost curious what distinguishes your shadows from us. For a young girl to be so brutal.”
“At least we don't betray the world for our own greed.”
“Talking big! Even so, you are merely outcasts unrecognized by the gods.”
A sneer appeared on the man's face.
Swish-!
Then, a silver flash that flew from behind Chen Xia severed the man's neck.
Gush-!
Blood splattered.
Chen Xia's body, which had been washed clean by the rain, was stained with blood once more.
Chen Xia turned her head.
“Your Imperial Highness. Do not defile your ears with the idle words of the wicked.”
“Yes.”
Chen Xia, who replied calmly, turned her body.
The traitors hiding in this village had met their end.
‘It's a feeling I haven't had in a long time.’
Other shadows, who had appeared unnoticed, were mutilating the corpses as if to ensure they were dead.
Seeing that, Chen Xia let out a deep breath.
‘If my classmates saw this, they might have frowned.’
One never knew what unexpected situations might arise due to Tartarus's dark magic.
For shadows, this level of confirmation killing was natural.
However, it was by no means a noble act.
But this sight was not unfamiliar to Chen Xia.
On the contrary, she accepted it as if it were natural.
It was a scene she had seen since childhood.
For the past year, she had simply been in a different world.
Step- step-
Chen Xia moved her steps.
These individuals, including Chen Xia, were the shadows of the Shan Empire.
The Shan Empire.
A powerful eastern nation boasting a long history.
Such a Shan Empire had an alias: the Land of Shadows.
Great heroes saved the world.
The Age of Heroes began.
Two thousand years after the end of the Age of Calamity.
After the calamity's re-emergence and the power of the Hero Records became known to the world, heroes came to lead global affairs.
Many admired and longed to be heroes.
They praised the achievements of heroes and dreamed of becoming heroes themselves.
Hero Academies were established, numerous noble hero families were born, and nations founded by heroes came into existence.
Many nations put effort into producing heroes.
‘Not the Shan Empire, though.’
The Shan Empire did not cultivate heroes.
It wasn't that heroes weren't born, but Shan valued shadows more.
‘Because we have fought since before this nation was founded… no, even before the Age of Heroes.’
Shan's official founding date is 4000 years ago, but Shan's shadows have existed for over 5000 years.
Since the Age of Calamity.
Throughout that long period, they protected the world without even leaving their names in the Hero Records.
‘Nobler than anyone… and more hideous than anyone.’
Step- step-
Because they had to live thoroughly in darkness, the shadows upheld their own sense of justice.
Chen Xia stopped walking.
And then, discovering a young brother and sister hiding in an alley, she widened her eyes.
Perhaps due to the cold spring rain, the siblings were trembling.
Squish- squish-
“Are you alright?”
At Chen Xia's question, the siblings hugged each other tighter.
“It's very cold, isn't it? Come with unnie…”
“Eek!”
Chen Xia reached out a hand to help the children.
Then the boy hugged his younger sister and squeezed his eyes shut.
At that scream, Chen Xia's hand stopped in mid-air.
Chen Xia, who had hesitated, soon gave a bitter smile and spoke.
“I'm sorry. It seems I scared you.”
She straightened her bent body.
“There won't be anything scary from now on. So don't stay here, go home. You'll catch a cold if you stay here.”
Saying that, Chen Xia left the alley.
“Oppa, the pretty unnie helped us…”
“Shush! Hurry and follow me. That person is a witch!”
The boy covered his sister's mouth and urgently disappeared deeper into the alley.
‘They saw me. Hunting.’
Chen Xia looked down at her hands.
They were clean hands, as usual.
But just moments ago, they were hands drenched in blood.
It was familiar.
Killing others.
It was familiar.
Being an object of fear to someone.
However, the stirring in her chest…
‘For the past year… I must have been dreaming deeply.’
It seemed she had been temporarily blinded by the dazzling days of the past year.
‘Right.’
Chen Xia clenched her fist tightly.
‘My place is here.’
She closed her eyes.
The faces of her friends, with whom she had studied for a year, came to mind.
Finally, the image of one boy came to mind.
A person who seemed to be born to become a hero.
A pure white person whose surroundings were always filled with light and hope.
‘I… can never be like young master Leo after all.’
Their origins were different.
Thinking that, Chen Xia disappeared into the darkness.
***
“Hoo.”
Liina let out a deep sigh.
“It's a headache.”
Dressed in a uniform, she pulled at the tie around her neck, loosening it.
“Trouble breaks out from the very first month of my term.”
Liina, with an irritated expression, took out a bottle of alcohol from the cabinet next to her office table.
And as she poured it into a glass, she fell into thought.
‘Are they ultimately going to do as they please?’
On Liina's office desk lay an envelope containing a letter sent by the Shan Empire.
The contents of the letter were simple.
It was a letter stating that Shan's Imperial Princess Chen Xia was withdrawing from school.
‘It must be the Emperor's will not to let Shan's talent leak outside.’
Shan's imperial family lives thoroughly veiled.
Only the Emperor can reveal himself to the world.
Even the person who will become the next Emperor cannot reveal themselves to the world until they become Emperor.
Shan's tradition, continued for thousands of years.
And among Shan's imperial family, those with talent who do not become Emperor live a life as shadows, not heroes.
That was Shan's tradition.
‘I just don't understand that country.’
Liina herself had lived half her life as a shadow of Lumern.
At first, she too was a student admitted to Lumern.
But to Liina, who was nearing graduation, the shadows of Lumern made an offer.
Having accepted that offer, she came to live the life of a shadow.
‘If it were me, I wouldn't make my child do dirty work; I'd let them live in the bright light!’
If the Emperor were right in front of me now, I'd want to yell at him.
She didn't regret her life as a shadow.
She too had walked a blood-scented path, but she had never thought it was wrong.
Even if she went back to the past, she would live the life of a shadow.
But…
‘Pushing children down such a path intentionally isn't right.’
Judging only by her first-year grades, Chen Xia is an excellent hero candidate.
To push a talented individual who could walk the path of a hero into the path of a shadow.
‘That country is definitely not sane.’
Liina let out a deep sigh.
‘The biggest problem is that Chen Xia herself has the will to quit being a hero candidate.’
You can't force someone who doesn't want to come.
Moreover, the other party isn't just a noble hero family, but the Imperial Family of the Shan Empire.
Furthermore, her status is that of an Imperial Princess.
‘For now, I have no choice but to go and see her myself…’
It was when Liina was thinking that.
Knock- knock-
“Come in.”
With the sound of a knock, the door opened.
Liina, seeing the person who had come to the principal's office, wore a puzzled expression.
“Student Council President, what brings you here at this hour? You should have class.”
“I skipped it.”
“They say you're the best honor student in Lumern's history, but surprisingly, you have a delinquent side?”
“Principal, you're also drinking alcohol since midday, aren't you?”
At Leo's words, Liina, who had been swirling her glass, sharply put it down and said.
“There's a reason for that, you see.”
Liina got off her office desk and pointed to the guest sofa.
“Sit. There must be a reason why the Student Council President came to see me.”
Leo sat on the sofa.
“Right. What's your reason for seeking me out?”
“It's about Chen Xia.”
“Chen Xia.”
Liina, leaning back into the sofa, said.
“You heard from Sena, the dorm supervisor, didn't you? That she might withdraw due to family circumstances.”
“Yes.”
“If that's the case, there's nothing you, even as Student Council President, can do. Lumern isn't special. As an educational institution, it teaches students who are qualified. It cannot teach students who are not qualified.”
“Does that qualification refer to her own will? Or her disposition?”
“What do you mean?”
“I have a feeling Chen Xia might be trying to withdraw because she's a shadow.”
“……”
At Leo's words, Liina's expression subtly changed.
“Chen Xia told you?”
“No. I just had a faint feeling.”
“Amazing. As expected, the youngest Student Council President is indeed different.”
Liina stroked her chin, marveling.
“If so, I understand even less. Don't you know well that heroes and shadows, though their goals are the same, can never truly mix ideologically?”
Liina gave a deep laugh.
“Among hero candidates, there are many who dislike shadows, you know.”
That was true.
Among hero candidates, those obsessed with purity hate students who are shadows.
Because what shadows do is far from what heroes do.
“Especially the radicals, they're a big problem. They don't hesitate to do things like torture and massacre. They often harm innocent people under the pretext of 'firmly eradicating traitors.'”
Liina, who had let out a scoff, looked at Leo.
“Leo Plov, it seems to me you're a boy born to be a hero, wouldn't you say?”
Liina rested her chin on her hand and crossed her legs.
“Are you interested in Chen Xia because she's a friend? You don't need to get involved in matters related to shadows. Just remain a noble hero.”
“A noble hero, huh…”
Leo wore an amused expression.
“It's quite something for someone who says such things to readily admit shadow candidates to Lumern.”
Liina's cold gaze met Leo's.
“I noticed it since I went on the escort mission. That some of the junior students were raised as shadows.”
Liina let out a snicker.
“There are radicals among heroes too. Many heroes have massacred innocent people. It's merely a difference of whether there was a justification or not. To me, it seems the same.”
“The same?”
Liina wore an amused expression.
“Yes. A hero or a shadow. What's the difference between the two?”
“You have interesting thoughts, don't you?”
Liina chuckled.
“Right. In terms of fighting Tartarus, heroes and shadows are the same. But…”
Liina's eyes narrowed.
“There's a crucial difference between them.”
“A crucial difference?”
“Yes.”
Liina, standing up, picked up the glass of alcohol she had left on her office desk and poured its contents into her mouth.
And looking at Leo, she said.
“No matter how great an achievement a shadow accomplishes, they cannot have their name recorded in the Hero Records.”
Liina let out a deep sigh.
“Gods praise the deeds of heroes, but they do not praise the deeds of shadows.”
Clink-
Liina, putting down the glass, gave a bitter smile.
“It means shadows are beings abandoned by the gods.”