Book 1 Chapter 358

The highest point in Seirun.

The Star Plaza.

It was a place accessible only by the principal's authority.

The Star Plaza held a significant position in elven society, used only for important agenda meetings within Seirun or for the elven council.

From such a place, an undead imbued with the power of the Commander King appeared.

If that's the case, there is only one suspect.

And the shadows of elves, too.

When the situation reached that point, after the incident was resolved, all pure-blooded elves of Seirun were apprehended for investigation.

Afterward, Leo immediately pursued Rhagen, the acting principal, and that led to the current situation.

"Are you trying to run away?"

"Run away?"

Rhagen's face contorted.

"Why would I be running away? Do you think nothing of me as the student council president of Lumen? Where do you get such audacious remarks…"

"Because running away now is the best way to avoid being discovered for making a deal with Tartarus."

Rhagen's face stiffened.

But soon, his expression turned to anger.

"A deal with Tartarus? What do you take me for! I, more than anyone, follow the will of the Progenitor of the Nebula and the Mage of the Comet…!"

"If you truly followed the will of Luna and Seirun."

Leo's expression vanished from his face.

"You wouldn't have discriminated against students like that."

Thump-

A chilling killing intent emanated from Leo's eyes.

"You follow the will of Luna and Seirun more than anyone? Don't make me laugh. You just interpreted their will in a way that suited you."

"You speak nonsense! How dare a mere human try to teach me the will of the Progenitor of the Nebula and the Mage of the Comet in front of me? You don't know your place!"

"You're the one who doesn't know your place. If you had at least followed their will, you wouldn't have made such a foolish deal with Tartarus."

"Hehehe… Hmph."

Rhagen let out a low laugh.

"A milky-breathed brat like you wouldn't understand."

"Are you not even denying it anymore?"

Leo's expression turned cold.

"All of this is for the peace of this world. It is the path to protect this world, following in the footsteps of Luna and Seirun!"

Rhagen looked at Leo.

"The foolish Commander King revealed his stupid intentions to me! To completely control Tartarus! He asked me to eliminate Erebus! In return for that deal, I was to receive Seirun's remains! To me, a necromancer! Do you understand what that means? Leo Flob! Can you understand my nobility in not shying away from a dirty path for the sake of the world!"

Rhagen spoke with an expression devoid of any guilt or wrongdoing.

Seeing Rhagen like that, Leo said,

"I don't know about anything else, but I do know this one thing."

Leo drew his sword.

"That you are a pathetic fool."

"What did you say?"

"Tartarus is already essentially the Commander King's."

Killing intent emanated from Leo's body.

"And the Legion Commanders are fanatics. They will never betray Erebus. To them, Erebus is a god."

Leo's eyes glinted.

"You merely endangered the world for your own greed. Don't insult Luna and Seirun any further."

Gooooo-!

Powerful magic erupted from Rhagen's body.

"Insult? As expected, a dullard like you cannot understand my intentions!"

Woong-!

A giant magic circle appeared in the air.

"I will make you regret showing me hostility! You may be arrogant as the student council president of Lumen at such a young age, but the world is vast!"

As Rhagen let out a cry, a blinding flash of light descended upon Leo.

"You are merely a hero candidate existing in a long history!"

Flash! Kaga-ga-gang!

Pure white lightning destroyed the area around Leo.

Watching Leo, who was directly hit by the magic of immense power, Rhagen's lips curled up.

At that moment.

Fwaaak-!

Breaking through the storm of lightning and thunder, Leo charged towards Rhagen.

As Rhagen's eyes widened in an unexpected situation.

Syerk-!

Leo's sword severed Rhagen's wrist.

Ting! Splat-!

"Kyaaaaak!"

The hand holding the staff rolled on the ground, blood splashing.

While clutching his wrist and writhing in pain, Rhagen looked at Leo in disbelief.

"How…!"

There was no sign of magic defense.

"What despicable trick did you use!"

"Despicable trick?"

Leo looked at Rhagen, who was kneeling with a blank expression.

"I merely dispelled your magic."

Rhagen's face contorted.

"Are you mocking me! Is that even remotely possible!"

Rhagen's body unleashed magic as if it were going berserk.

Rhagen's starlight magic flew towards Leo.

However, before the magic could even reach Leo, it shattered into fragments of magic and dispersed.

"Th-this is a nightmare… It's impossible!"

Rhagen muttered with a pale face at the situation that defied common sense.

Rhagen also knew.

That his starlight magic was dispelled with a single glance from Leo.

In front of Leo, Rhagen's starlight magic was nothing more than crude childish play.

'Is this even remotely possible?'

It felt like his starlight magic, which he had dedicated his life to, was being denied.

"How… How is that possible! How can a mere human set foot in such a realm! Who taught you starlight magic!"

"The person who taught me starlight magic?"

Leo, who had approached Rhagen, whispered softly.

"Luna Rubinence."

"You… To the very end!"

Rhagen's eyes turned bloodshot.

*Snatch-*

At that moment, Leo's sword flashed.

Rhagen's head soared into the sky.

Fwah-! Thud- Roll-!

Blood gushed like a fountain.

Leo, with an emotionless expression, approached Rhagen's body and plunged his sword into his heart.

*Thwack-*!

Leo, having completely extinguished Rhagen's life, opened his mouth.

"How long do you plan to watch from hiding?"

As Leo spoke, Algren of the Northern Magic Tower appeared from behind.

As the Shadow Lord of the elves, he bowed his head to Leo.

"I greet the master of Shan."

It was a strange sight, the head of the Northern Magic Tower bowing to a mere student, even if she was the student council president of Lumen.

However, Leo did not find this fact strange.

Algren was showing respect to Leo, the master of the Shan Empire and the Shadow Scroll, not as the head of the Northern Magic Tower, but as the Shadow Lord.

"It's amazing. Rhagen is not a trivial elf, yet you dealt with him so easily."

Algren approached Leo with an intrigued expression.

"Moreover, how were you able to pursue him before I did?"

Algren had been pursuing Rhagen since he noticed his disappearance.

But Leo had pursued Rhagen much faster than Algren.

Moving stealthily in the darkness to pursue and eliminate targets was the specialty of shadows.

Algren wondered why Leo, a hero candidate living in the light rather than the darkness, could reach Rhagen faster than himself, the Shadow Lord.

To Algren's question, Leo replied.

"Do you think Emperor Shau gave me the Shan Empire simply because I am the master of the Shadow Scroll?"

At Leo's question, Algren's eyes widened slightly, and then he smiled.

'As expected. Anya wasn't talking nonsense.'

Last night, when his daughter Anya said Leo was a master worthy of serving, Algren still had doubts about Leo.

It wasn't that he doubted Leo's abilities.

Even based on his achievements as a hero candidate, it was clear that Leo was extraordinary.

He would undoubtedly become a hero who could sway the world in the future.

However, heroes who live in the light are different from shadows who live in the darkness.

'Young shadows tend to want to follow a hero they are mesmerized by.'

For thousands of years, shadows have done the dirty work that heroes could not.

But they didn't just do cleanup.

They also took on the mission of following heroes as their shadows.

In fact, even in ancient hero families, there are shadows on the other side of the darkness.

He thought Anya was also captivated by the intense light that was Leo.

'But this… it seems she has fallen into deep darkness.'

Algren, who had delved deep into darkness as a Shadow Lord, could tell.

He was a hero who unhesitatingly executed traitors, and at the same time, a shadow.

He was someone who had already stepped deep into the darkness long ago.

A person with duality, both light and darkness.

'Gray… Such a person can exist.'

Algren bowed his head towards Leo.

"I have committed a rudeness."

Leo took a step.

As Algren followed Leo, he said,

"How did you know he was a traitor?"

"I've seen a similar method before."

The Age of Calamity.

The Commander King's methods, which burrowed into the elves and festered them, were similar to this.

5000 years.

It was enough time to repeat the same mistake.

"How did you find out?"

"We discovered traces of the Hero Slayer contacting the pure-blooded elves."

Leo, who had stopped walking, looked at Algren.

Seeing Leo like that, Algren bowed his head.

"He is a traitor who has murdered countless heroes."

"I know that."

The Hero Slayer.

History's worst hero killer, who has murdered countless heroes.

His chilling infamy remained in history books.

No one didn't know him.

"I thought the Hero Slayer disappeared 500 years ago?"

One day, after scattering the blood of countless heroes and plunging the world into terror, he suddenly vanished into the pages of history.

There are claims that he was subjugated by heroes or annihilated by shadows.

But what is certain is that he is a figure from 500 years ago.

"That's right. However, in the northern continent, shadows encountered someone using the same power as the Hero Slayer. There was only one survivor."

"…"

"Currently, we suspect the Commander King's involvement. Coincidentally, the pure-blooded elves are also closely related to the Commander King."

Leo narrowed his eyes.

"I will report to you through Anya once I learn the detailed facts."

"I have a question, why are you treating me so loyally when you only saw me then? Anya might be swayed by emotions because she's young, but you're not, are you?"

"My daughter is older than Leo-nim."

Seeing Algren answer with a strange expression, Leo looked indifferent.

"That's not important."

At Leo's answer, Algren smiled.

"It's because you are the master of the Shadow Scroll. If they are recognized by you, shadows can also have their names inscribed in the Hero Records. For that fact alone, there will be many shadows who will lay down their lives at your command."

A being who can fulfill the aspirations of shadows who have been discriminated against for thousands of years.

That was Leo.

"It's not just for that reason, is it?"

"As the Shadow Lord, I also want to see your abilities."

Algren bowed to Leo and said.

"Whether you are someone we can entrust our fate to… or not."

"I hope I can meet your expectations."

At Leo's answer, Algren smiled.

'If it's this boy, it might be possible. Not leading the shadows with light, but embracing the shadows with darkness.'

He is neither a hero living in bright light nor a shadow living in deep darkness.

He is simply, as if it were his own question.

A person holding onto both light and darkness.

'Perhaps he is like Lord Kyle, who was the beginning of all things.'