Book 1 Chapter 242

"He moved?"

"Yes."

"Interesting. Very audacious."

The moment Leo left the annex he had been guided to, his movements were reported in real-time to Shau, the emperor.

Upon hearing the report, Shau curled the corners of his lips.

"What should we do?"

Students from the Academy of the Four Heroes are treated as honored guests in any country they visit.

Moreover, Leo is not just a mere hero candidate, but the student council president of Lumene.

However, even so, arbitrarily exploring the imperial palace without the permission of Shau, the master of Shan, is not tolerated.

It was a serious matter that could even lead to diplomatic problems.

But Shau did not dislike Leo's actions.

Besides, he didn't expect Leo to be able to find Chen Xia.

'It's not easy even for skilled shadows to find Xia, who is hiding in the darkness.'

The royalty of Shan are born to live in darkness from the moment they are born, to become perfect shadows more than anyone else.

'That child dreamed of becoming a hero and had the talent to become a hero, but… her talent as a shadow was even more extraordinary.'

Shau was confident.

Soon, his daughter would reach a realm incomparable to himself, or even to all the past emperors of Shan.

And he was confident that she would fulfill Shan's long-cherished wish.

'To have her name inscribed in the Hero Record.'

Long before Shan was founded.

Even an ancestor who was active from the Age of Calamity had not achieved this feat, and he was confident his daughter would achieve it.

'To achieve that feat once again… the one that the first shadow achieved…'

The reason why the emperors of Shan have been obsessed with having their names inscribed in the Hero Record as shadows.

It is because the shadow whose name was inscribed in the Hero Record existed in forgotten history.

A truth beyond history, passed down only to the emperors of Shan.

Among the legacies left by the great shadow Biharu, there was a Hero Record with a name erased.

The records from 5,000 years ago, when the Hero Record was first created.

It was simply not announced to the world because a seal was placed to prevent anyone from knowing.

A great shadow that left a record in the Hero Record definitely existed.

That is why the emperors of Shan cannot let go of their obsession with the Hero Record.

His daughter, who possessed talent that was among the best in Shan's long history.

Because of such a daughter, he spoke words that he knew would be hurtful.

'You can never be a hero. Do you think God will recognize someone who has stepped into darkness as a hero?'

He imprinted those words into her mind countless times.

And recently, his daughter gave up on becoming a hero.

But if she met Leo, she would be swayed.

That's why he prevented them from meeting.

'No matter how extraordinary, it's normal not to be able to find her, but I can't let my guard down. Leo Flov has always turned the impossible into the possible.'

Shau, with one eye closed, recalled Leo's movements.

The world calls Leo's generation of contemporaries the Golden Generation of Lumene.

'It is an unusual occurrence for so many talented individuals to gather in a single generation.'

But it's not just Lumene that is unusual.

'Seirun, Azonia, Demian too.'

Shau's eyes narrowed.

'There are too many exceptional children in that generation.'

If they all become heroes.

The current continental balance of power might change.

The balance of power with Tartarus, which has been maintained for a long time, would be no surprise if it were to crumble.

'No, the balance of power has already been severely shaken.'

The subjugation of the Demon Queen.

One of the world's impossible wishes for 5,000 years has already been fulfilled.

It is an era where great heroes and legion commanders from the past are appearing.

It is an era where new functions of the Hero Record have been discovered.

After the Age of Calamity 5,000 years ago ended.

Just as disaster struck 3,000 years ago.

It may be time for the world to face another great upheaval.

'And the person standing at the forefront, leading the hero candidates, is Leo Flov.'

They say heroes are beings who make the impossible possible, but even heroes have their limits.

However, Shau could not see Leo's limits.

Whenever he faced a limit, he would boldly overcome it.

'Perhaps Leo Flov can find Xia.'

That would be troublesome.

'She has just decided to give up on being a hero and become a shadow.'

"Make her wander in the darkness until dawn."

"Understood."

As Shau's command fell, the captain of the guard disappeared into the darkness.

'I must not instill unnecessary emotions in Xia.'

A chilling killing intent flickered in Shau's eyes.

'Xia too… might betray him like that.'

***

In a room dimly lit by moonlight, a small girl sat demurely.

The room was filled with storybooks.

All related to heroes.

Chen Xia, who loved fairy tales from a young age, read the biographies of heroes.

When she struggled with arduous training, she drew strength from reading many hero stories.

'I used to think I wanted to become a shadow that protects those heroes someday.'

Xia, opening her eyes, looked at the bookshelf filled with memories and smiled faintly.

Such thoughts soon gave rise to another ambition.

The thought of becoming a hero herself.

She thought of saving many people and standing before them.

8 years ago.

The day she first had such a dream, when she turned 10.

She killed a person.

It was the day she dispatched low-ranking mages who researched dark magic by making contracts with demons.

'Perhaps I had already crossed an irreversible river then.'

While other children were admiring heroes and their eyes sparkling, she killed a person as if it were natural.

Up to that moment, she didn't know what was wrong.

Although she took another's life at too young an age to learn about killing, she felt no guilt.

Traitors are executed.

That's how she learned and lived.

It was the day she protected world peace by dispatching dark mages corrupted by evil.

Just as she rejoiced, thinking she was like the heroes in fairy tale books.

'Tch, this isn't something a hero would do!'

Her fraternal twin, who was always with her, said those words.

That statement was a great shock to Chen Xia.

Not something a hero would do?

'Heroes don't kill people like this!'

Her twin, who had lived the same life as her, denied what she had learned up to that point.

'Heroes vanquish evil in a bright world!'

In a bright world?

'Vanquishing evil like this has no value!'

No value?

'This is just simple slaughter? It's not cool at all! People won't acknowledge it!'

Simple… slaughter?

Ten-year-old Xia looked down at her blood-stained hands.

Only after returning to the imperial palace could the young girl truly feel the weight of having killed a person.

Even if it was the life of a traitor.

The person who knew him.

His family did not know that fact.

It was as her twin said.

Heroes do not vanquish evil like this.

Afterward, her twin began to express dissatisfaction with her work as a shadow.

And she incessantly told her father that she wanted to become a hero.

Whenever that happened, Shau would simply offer a troubled smile.

Even when her twin whined like that, Xia remained silent.

Perhaps she had already given up on becoming a hero at that time.

She quickly recovered from the shock of her first mission.

Perhaps it was due to her strong spirit, trained from a young age.

Or perhaps her emotions had become calloused and she had become indifferent.

Days of dispatching traitors and walking a path of blood continued.

And then a new mission was given.

'Betrayal…?'

'Yes.'

A new traitor had appeared.

It was her twin, whom she had considered an extension of herself her entire life.

It was a shock.

The news of Shian's betrayal, who yearned for heroes and dreamed of becoming one more than anyone else, was a great shock to Xia.

She knew he disliked being a shadow.

She also knew that he would rush out and abandon everything to become a hero.

But the means being betrayal was undeniably shocking.

'Xia.'

Shau called out to his daughter, his gaze chilling.

"Dispatch Shian. And become the emperor of Shan."

She received the order.

Xia knew Shian's skills and talent better than anyone.

If he became a traitor, he would likely grow into a monster capable of annihilating countless heroes.

Xia pursued her twin to dispatch him.

And…

*Ache-*

As the memory of that time resurfaced, Chen Xia placed her hand on her right chest.

That was two years ago.

'He must have died.'

In a bloody slaughter between kin, at the point where their strengths were depleted, she barely pushed him off a cliff.

To the returning Chen Xia, Shau promised the status of emperor and one wish that could be fulfilled as emperor.

To that, Xia said,

"I want to become a hero."

Shau seemed surprised.

"I want to enroll in Lumene."

"You can never be a hero. Do you think God will recognize someone who has stepped into darkness as a hero?"

Shau endlessly denied his daughter's dream.

But perhaps because of Shian, who had twisted himself in his desire to become a hero?

Shau gave her one chance.

To become the top of her class at the academy.

With the restriction of not using her shadow abilities.

Under those conditions, he allowed her to go to Lumene.

Thus, a year later, Chen Xia enrolled in Lumene, which she had dreamed of.

Everything went smoothly.

She easily secured the top position in the Eastern district.

On the day her peers gathered, she saw other district leaders who were not to be underestimated, but she was confident.

And then she met him.

The boy with the contrasting white hair.

'Master Leo.'

Leo, a boy from an ordinary rural border kingdom, seemed unremarkable at first glance… a surprisingly familiar boy.

However, on the first day of enrollment, he showed an impressive performance in the fight against the Kraken.

Moreover, he was the class representative.

If she could defeat Leo, she thought she would be one step closer to the position of hero.

But…

'He was someone I couldn't surpass.'

It didn't take long to realize that.

The boy who seemed unremarkable at a glance was an unprecedented all-class.

Not only that, but he quickly surpassed her, and at some point, she could no longer keep up.

A despairing gap.

However, Chen Xia did not despair.

She didn't have time to feel such emotions.

She was simply excited.

The shock of meeting a character from a childhood fairy tale.

Leo was such a bright light to Chen Xia.

So bright that her eyes might go blind just by looking at him.

That's why she couldn't take her eyes off him.

She was satisfied just by watching him.

But others were different.

They gritted their teeth and chased after Leo.

When she realized that it was a challenge against the impossible, Chen Xia realized something.

She, who stood idly by, content with just gazing at the bright light.

And the people who tried to move towards that light.

She, who had her feet stuck in darkness, couldn't even think of approaching the light.

'I am different from these people.'

Her desire to become a hero remained unchanged.

But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she was suited to be a shadow.

Through her interactions with the hero candidates, she came to know this.

That they were fundamentally different.

Their way of thinking was different.

The environment in which they lived was different.

She felt the darkness accumulated from the past holding her back.

'My father was right. I can't be a hero.'

Then, no matter how dirty the work,

'Because it's something heroes shouldn't do, I have to do it.'

Even if I have to live in darkness.

'Because someone has to do it.'

Even if it's just worthless slaughter.

'If it's for Master Leo… for the heroes… wouldn't it have value?'

She yearned for heroes.

But she had to stop at yearning.

'Because I can never be a hero.'

It was as her father said.

God would never recognize someone who has done all sorts of dirty deeds.

"Princess Xia."

"What is it?"

"I have come to deliver the Emperor's message."

"Father?"

Xia asked with a puzzled expression.

"Is it a new mission?"

"Yes. He has given a mission to hide yourselves deep in the darkness."

"Why?"

Xia's expression showed that she didn't understand this unusual mission.

To Xia, the shadow replied.

"Currently, Leo Flov, the student council president of Lumene, is visiting the imperial palace."

Upon hearing that, Chen Xia felt a stir in her heart.

The reason she came without saying goodbye was that her resolve would waver the moment she met him.

And now, he was here.

"He says he has come to escort the Princess to Lumene."

Chen Xia's eyes wavered.

Her heart pounded.

"The Emperor's order is not to meet him."

"What is Father's order regarding Master Leo?"

"He ordered them to confine him in darkness until dawn."

It was impossible to find her by breaking through Shan's darkness.

All sorts of skilled shadows would block Leo.

Therefore, there was no way they would meet.

'But… if it's Master Leo…'

Perhaps he would find her in that darkness.

If they met now, the resolve she had painstakingly made would undoubtedly waver.

She, a shadow, cannot be a hero.

If she harbored fleeting dreams, she would become a useless being, neither here nor there.

Rather than that,

'It would be far more valuable to become a shadow and help Master Leo.'

Rather than clinging to worthless dreams, Chen Xia thought it would be much more valuable to help the boy she admired.

"I understand."

Chen Xia rose from her seat.

And she opened the door and stepped out.

Pitch-black darkness stretched out.

The interior of Shan's imperial palace, enveloped in darkness, was like a labyrinth of darkness where one could not see an inch ahead.

But for the shadows, this darkness was all too familiar.

Chen Xia immediately concealed herself in the darkness.

The shadow assisting Chen Xia did the same.

Presence, sound, sight.

Chen Xia moved without much difficulty in the darkness where nothing existed.

Following behind her, the shadow marveled.

'As expected, Princess Xia is on another level.'

He was confident.

'Leo Flov will absolutely not be able to find the Princess…'

"This is a bit too much."

Chen Xia suddenly stopped.

*Fwoosh-*

The surroundings were illuminated by light magic from behind.

"I thought it was hide-and-seek, but it was tag? That's why you were so confident that I wouldn't be able to find you."

The shadow turned around with a look of horror.

"How?"

Could someone who only lived in light find a shadow in this darkness?

Chen Xia's fingertips trembled slightly.

Her heart trembled at the familiar voice.

The voice that made her dream and at the same time made her give up on her dreams spoke to her familiarly.

"Chen Xia, let's go back to Lumene."

Chen Xia's heart was speaking.

"I came to pick you up."

If she turned back now… she would be endlessly reaching for a dream she could not touch.