Book 1 Chapter 475
475.
“Let’s review the situation.”
Leo, who had left the grave of the defeated, fell into thought.
“First, this country is under threat from the Justice Guild, and they are searching for the Tomb of the Knight of the Underworld.”
According to Crown Prince Jeremy, it was clear that the Justice Guild was responsible for grave robbing the heroes’ tombs.
“Second, the Grand Duke of Dirge is raising orphan soldiers in this country.”
This was the problem.
“Are the grave robbing of the heroes’ tombs and the Grand Duke of Dirge unrelated?”
The current Necromancer King did not possess the power to revive heroes who had wielded immense power in life.
Erebos’s power might have been mighty when he was alive, but not now.
“But to completely ignore that possibility, there's the fragment of Erebos that the Necromancer King might possess.”
Before summer vacation.
The Necromancer King, who had sought Lumen to confirm his own existence, had used a faint spark of Erebos.
“While reviving a fragment might be impossible, he might be able to utilize it to the extent of gaining the power he had in his prime.”
If so, it would not be impossible to revive heroes as undead.
If that were the case, it would be the worst situation.
“Anyway, I need information.”
Leo arrived at a forest not far away.
Sitting on a felled tree stump, Leo pulled out a small potion bottle from his pocket.
He poured the sky-blue liquid onto the ground.
The liquid, which had been wriggling on the ground, soon began to freeze with a crackling sound, then turned into a mirror.
And the one who appeared from it was an elf.
“Did you call, great God of Shadows?”
The one who politely greeted Leo was Al Gren, the North Tower Master.
Before being the North Tower Master, he was also the Shadow Lord of the elves.
Leo looked at Al Gren and said.
“I need some help.”
“Yes, I will prepare immediately and send people.”
“What?”
With those words, the communication with Al Gren was cut off without further ado.
Communication magic leaves traces.
A wizard specialized in communication magic can eavesdrop on communication magic using those traces.
But this magic created by Al Gren leaves no magical traces at all.
It was perfect magic for shadows who must not leave any traces.
The disadvantage was that the connection time was short.
“So I was going to just convey the simple request. But he said he’d send people without even asking what the situation was.”
Leo made a puzzled expression.
“Does he understand what’s happening in the northeastern part of the continent?”
The elves' shadow base was in the northern part of the continent.
And this was the northeast.
As someone active in the shadows, Al Gren must have been aware of this matter.
“Well, he said he’d send people, so he’ll contact me when they’re ready.”
And exactly one hour later.
Al Gren not only finished preparations but also dispatched shadows.
It was an incredible speed.
Leo greeted the elf kneeling before him.
“It’s been a while.”
“Do you remember me?”
“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I didn’t remember? Anyas Beggs.”
“Not only does the great God of Shadows remember humble me, but he even calls me by name!”
Anyas raised her head, covered her mouth with both hands, and showed a moved expression.
“Ah! God. My great and noble God. My God who remembers even my insignificant name. Ah, my heart is pounding so much I feel like I’m going to die. Haaah! Haaah!”
“I knew her mind was a bit off, but it seems to have gotten worse?”
“How can your ruby-like eyes emit such noble and pure light? Your pure white hair alone seems to drive away darkness. Haa… haa….”
Anyas, catching her breath, spoke in a trembling voice.
“God. Could you grant me one small favor?”
“What is it?”
“Please bestow upon me a single strand of hair pulled by your own hand.”
“What for?”
“I plan to make it a holy relic of the religion I founded.”
“What?”
“Look. Only I have joined yet, but I even made this.”
The flyer Anyas handed over had the phrase, [Join Leoism and be saved.] written on it.
The back of the flyer was covered with photos of Leo.
“This is crazy…”
Madness could be felt.
If left alone, she might officially declare this “Leoism” or whatever it was and genuinely engage in missionary activities.
Anyas spoke, looking at the dumbfounded Leo.
“And I have also compiled a list of those who have recently been slandering God. Soon, there will be bloody retribution…”
Anyas's ears fluttered like wings as she spoke enthusiastically, clenching both hands.
“Anyas Beggs.”
“Yes!”
“Don’t make things like this.”
“Huh?”
“The Justice Guild I’m trying to deal with right now is a cult-like group. But I can’t become the same, can I?”
“B-but unlike those cultists, our religion actually has a God, doesn’t it?”
Leo answered blandly.
“Why am I a god? I’m human. I’ll say it again. Don’t do it.”
“If Lord Leo says so, then there’s nothing I can do.”
Anyas’s ears drooped.
Seeing her look as if she had lost the meaning of life, Leo briefly wondered if he should comfort her.
“Still, Lord Leo. Could you give me just one strand of hair?”
“Why?”
“To add to my collection.”
“It was needless worry after all.”
Leo decided to completely ignore Anyas, who made his concerns seem pointless.
“Anyas, do you know about the orphan soldiers that Duke Dotarn raised?”
“Yes. You mean gathering orphans, training them as soldiers, and making them private troops, don’t you? I recently heard that Crown Prince Jeremy moved Duke Dotarn’s orphan soldiers under his own command.”
Like a shadow, she was perfectly aware of the information in the northeastern region.
“Then, you also know that those orphan soldiers are connected to Tartarus?”
At that, Anyas’s expression changed drastically.
“Is Duke Dotarn Tartarus’s henchman?”
Leo shook his head, looking at Anyas, who asked in a chilling voice.
“No, that guy probably doesn’t even know he’s being used.”
Anyas’s reaction clearly showed that she didn’t think much of the orphan soldiers.
The power of the orphan soldiers was immense.
It was by no means the military strength a small kingdom would possess.
“If they grow further and become not just simple soldiers but a proper knight order, it will change the landscape of the continent’s northeast.”
The fact that Anyas hadn’t paid much attention to a group with such a level of combat power meant that their existence had been perfectly hidden.
“If it’s Atkan, it’s entirely possible.”
“Release the shadows and thoroughly investigate this Duke Dotarn.”
“If we discover Tartarus’s presence, should we begin the hunt?”
“No. Report to me. If we meddle rashly, our side will suffer greatly.”
“Does Lord Leo know the identity of the demons secretly active in this country?”
“It’s likely Atkan, the Grand Duke of Dirge.”
Anyas’s shoulders trembled slightly when the name of such a significant figure was mentioned.
“Move carefully. He will also be wary of us.”
“Understood.”
As a confidant of the Necromancer King, Atkan would also know that Leo was the reincarnation of Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings.
“He would have expected me to notice his existence the moment I saw the orphan soldiers in this country.”
But Atkan did not leave this country.
“He’s probably trying to accurately gauge how strong I am right now.”
“Lord Leo. What should we do about the Justice Guild?”
Anyas asked.
“I don’t think the shadows would be unaware of the Justice Guild. What has been the shadows’ assessment of the Justice Guild so far?”
“Opinions were divided.”
Anyas narrowed her eyes.
“They have gained a reputation for instigating wars in conflict zones, not only in the northeast but worldwide.”
“And the reason the shadows have left them alone is because they are neither traitors nor enemies?”
“Yes.”
Anyas avoided Leo’s gaze.
“Shadows only get involved in matters related to Tartarus. Besides the shadows, those who see through their true nature also condone their actions.”
The process by which the Justice Guild grew its power was simple.
They appear in areas prone to conflict and escalate wars.
Then they resolve those conflicts and are praised by the war victims as if they had established justice.
They expanded their power in this way.
But the reason those who saw through their true nature condoned them was that their blades were not directed at themselves.
“The Justice Guild is also the most active in the fight against Tartarus.”
The Justice Guild’s blade is not directed at them.
Instead, they act as a shield in the fight against Tartarus and sometimes handle their dirty work when needed.
The Justice Guild has persisted until now because of this mutual interest.
Even those who rejected the Justice Guild could not carelessly fight them.
Currently, there is no central point in the world to gather everyone’s goals.
“As long as interests are intertwined, it will become a civil war. That would be the scenario Tartarus desires most. But,”
Now that he knew their true nature, Leo had no intention of condoning it.
“Are you planning to deal with the Justice Guild?”
“Yes.”
“Should I assemble the shadows?”
“No.”
Leo shook his head.
“If the shadows step in, the already poor perception of shadows will worsen.”
No matter what anyone said, the Justice Guild was a group that outwardly advocated justice.
Eliminating such people would undoubtedly create new misunderstandings.
Just before summer vacation, with Melina’s declaration, shadows gained a status equal to heroes.
But even with the Dragon Lord’s declaration, people’s views would not easily change.
“From now on, it depends on what you do.”
“Depends on what we do?”
“Yes. I want the word ‘shadow’ to disappear.”
“Huh?”
“Everyone who fought for the world is a hero. You are fully qualified to be called heroes. So, I want to create a world where you are called heroes, not shadows.”
“Lord Leo…”
Anyas covered her mouth and made a moved expression.
“To have dreamed of such a world… to have planned such a grand scheme…”
Moved, Anyas clasped her hands together and adopted a praying posture towards Leo.
“Please, let me worship you as a god.”
“Absolutely not.”
It was then that Leo frowned.
Swoosh—!
An elf appeared from a tree shadow.
The expression vanished from Anyas’s face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Reporting.”
The shadow, looking urgent, bowed his head.
“A massive battle has occurred at the border between the Canel Kingdom and the Fetimen Kingdom.”
“Did the Fetimen Kingdom army launch a major attack?”
Leo stood up and asked, and the shadow urgently shook his head.
“No, someone attacked the Fetimen Kingdom army alone, and the Justice Guild has engaged in battle with them.”
“If the Hero Guild is getting involved, it must mean it’s a formidable individual, right? Who is it?”
The shadow hesitated at Anyas’s words, then replied.
“The individual currently engaging the Justice Guild is presumed to be the Iron-Blooded Mage.”
Anyas’s face stiffened.
“The Iron-Blooded Mage…? Tiaar?”
It wasn’t just Anyas’s face.
Leo’s face also stiffened.
Leo had also seen that name in textbooks.
The elf hero, Tiaar, the Iron-Blooded Mage.
A great hero who achieved brilliant feats in the war against Tartarus.
However, she was also a hero ostracized among elves for creating overly cruel magic with star magic.
And the period when the Iron-Blooded Mage was active was.
“A hero from 1000 years ago.”
Leo felt that the worst-case scenario he had anticipated had come true.
“The Necromancer King, that guy is reviving heroes as undead.”