Book 1 Chapter 615

615.

"A letter has arrived from Rwalin offering to help resolve this incident."

Egerson's eyes twitched as he heard the report.

His face was tinged with displeasure.

"I wonder what Rwalin thinks of the Zerdinger. Isn't that right? Head of the family?"

At Egerson's question, Zerdinger's head, Seld's, cool gaze turned towards Egerson.

The moment their eyes met, Egerson's body flinched.

'This guy?'

Egerson Zerdinger.

A hero who earned the epithet 'Sword of Ash' because those struck by his sword were left as nothing but ash.

Despite achieving such a feat, Egerson was regarded as inferior when compared to Seld Zerdinger, the Head of the Zerdinger family.

Karma Fire (業火) Seld Zerdinger.

He not only possessed one of the greatest strengths among the successive Heads of Zerdinger, a family of supreme knights, but Seld was also always mentioned when discussing who the strongest knight was after the Sword Saint passed away.

The strongest knight in the Empire, in name and reality.

He was a man with an overwhelming flame that surpassed even the previous Head.

"The Head of Rwalin sent a letter offering help because he was worried about my brother."

Seld's head tilted slightly.

"Is that so unpleasant to you?"

Gooooooh-

The surrounding temperature rose sharply.

Everyone present here had learned the sword in Zerdinger.

All of them were users of flame aura.

Even they felt the heat instantly, a testament to the immense force Seld emitted.

"Brother."

Jis, the Head's brother, who was sitting next to Seld, called out to Seld.

Then the heat vanished instantly.

Silence filled the conference room.

Amidst this, one elder cautiously opened his mouth.

"Mages would be much better at tracking the culprit's movements. How about we get help in that regard?"

At Jis's words, Zerdinger's key figures nodded.

Meanwhile, Egerson swallowed his rage at Seld's power, which had pressured him.

'How dare this arrogant fellow! No matter if he's the Head, to treat me, the de facto leader of the Elder Council, like this!'

Because of this humiliating situation in front of the family's key figures, Egerson felt a thousand fires burning inside him.

But now was the time to suppress his anger.

No matter how powerful the Elder Council's authority was, it could not compare to the Head.

Moreover, security was the domain of the Elder Council, so it was also his own mistake.

To be precise, he had intentionally made it sloppy, but if an enraged Head made an issue of it, the Elder Council would inevitably be cowed.

'That must not happen.'

Egerson never thought he would become the master of Zerdinger.

His son, Reed, was also incapable.

Seld Zerdinger was too formidable for that.

But…

'My grandson can become the Head.'

If something unexpected happens to the current successor, Lis, Celia would take the position of the next Head.

And if something happens to Celia, then Leo.

At first glance, it seems like there are many.

But.

'If only these three disappear, there will be no one left to sit in the position of the Head.'

Jis Zerdinger, the Head's brother, has one daughter.

But she was just an ordinary young lady from a noble family, far removed from knighthood.

'Now is the age of cataclysm. Tartarus is stirring, and the world is falling into chaos.'

Zerdinger is a family of heroes.

For a long time, crises of the Empire.

Furthermore, they earned their current reputation by wielding swords and fighting in global crises.

It is unacceptable for even the Head's successors to be in a safe place.

'Even if they are strong, they are still incomplete youngsters. Unexpected accidents can happen to them at any time.'

Was that not why he unleashed the best hunting dog?

'No matter if he's the Head, it's impossible to find out that the Elder Council is behind this incident.'

Most of the family's knight order followed Seld Zerdinger.

But Zerdinger's shadows were mostly led by the Elder Council.

For a long time.

It was not easy for knights on the battlefield to track the shadows operating in secret.

'Learning about him must mean that God chose me.'

Egerson thought of the Hero Slayer and laughed inwardly.

He didn't know how it appeared in the present world.

But the Hero Slayer, who had massacred heroes long ago, was literally a hunting dog specialized for this task.

After the meeting.

Egerson, who arrived at the Elder's Corridor, immediately headed to his office.

The elders followed behind him.

"The Head won't be able to find out who's behind it, will he?"

An elder asked with an anxious face.

Another elder snickered.

"Zerdinger's shadows are under the Elder Council. No matter who Seld is, unless he has the shadows under his command, he won't find out that we're behind it."

At his words, another elder spoke.

"What if Rwalin's shadows are drawn in?"

Egerson let out a chuckle.

"Where there is strong light, the shadows are also deep. There is no force in the western continent that can consume Zerdinger's shadows."

Even if Rwalin's shadows dig into it, they would ultimately have limitations within Zerdinger's territory.

Opening the door to the Elder's Corridor, Egerson said.

"No one can reach the secret. No one."

Creak-!

The moment the door to the Elder's Corridor opened.

Egerson's face hardened.

It wasn't just Egerson.

Everyone who saw the interior of the Elder's Corridor was astonished.

Zerdinger's shadows lay fallen everywhere.

And as if the Elder's Corridor itself had been searched.

Countless documents were scattered across the floor.

"W-what is this!"

It was the moment the elders cried out in shock.

Egerson, his face grim, strode towards a shadow that was still breathing on one side and grabbed him by the collar.

"What is going on? Who did this!"

At his words, the shadow gasped, "They… they came. Cough!"

"Who are 'they'!"

As he pressed the shadow, who was coughing up blood, the Zerdinger shadow gasped for breath and said.

"The Shadow… Lord… the one who rules the world's darkness… has come…"

Egerson's eyes widened.

The Shadow Lord.

Egerson had heard about their existence.

The Empire of Shadows.

Beings who ruled the darkness of each race, spearheaded by the Shan Empire.

"Why are they targeting Zerdinger! Why in the world!"

"We're not targeting Zerdinger."

Then a voice was heard from the darkness.

Shring-

At those words, the elders all drew their swords.

All of them were heroes or close to heroes.

The killing intent they emitted was enough to cut down a person just by being exposed to it.

But the woman who emerged from the darkness did not even bat an eyelid at the killing intent.

"Beastkin?"

Egerson frowned.

Kirin, the Southern Shadow Lord, spoke in a languid tone.

"We targeted the world's traitors who colluded with the Hero Slayer."

Kirin's eyes narrowed.

"The Elder Council of Zerdinger."

At her words, Egerson snorted.

"That's a ridiculous claim."

"Oh? It's not a ridiculous claim, is it?"

Anias, with a hood pulled over her head, walked out next to Kirin.

In her cupped hands was a crystal ball.

Upon seeing it, Egerson's face hardened for a moment.

But he soon regained his composure.

That crystal ball looked like an ordinary crystal ball on the outside.

"This Crystal of Secrecy. Long ago, it was an artifact that could only be created with the magic of the Elf hero, the Alchemist of All Things."

"What about it?"

At Egerson's words, Anias smiled.

"Most of the artifacts created by the Alchemist of All Things were objects that could be manifested because of the Alchemist of All Things' magic. And after his death, the artifacts whose magic ran out turned into junk."

Anias rolled the crystal ball in her hands.

"The Alchemist of All Things was killed after his magic was stolen by the Hero Slayer. And it has been officially confirmed that the magic of the Alchemist of All Things does not exist as a reward for conquering the hero's world. Therefore, the Alchemist of All Things' own magic is required to create this artifact."

"…"

"This crystal ball. No matter how you look at it, it's a recently made object."

Anias tapped the crystal ball.

Magic was activated, and a distinct bloodstain appeared on the surface of the crystal ball.

The material required to activate the crystal ball was the blood of the registered user.

"Blood magic is my specialty. I can regenerate bloodstains like this."

"What about that?"

Anias smiled.

"A trace of magic remains in all magical artifacts. And in magic communication spheres, it remains in the form of a voice."

Egerson's face hardened.

"No matter how complex a magical artifact a great mage created, its operating principle will eventually be deciphered by later generations. Even if creating it is impossible, knowing its structure allows for many things. Then, something like this also becomes possible."

"What happened to Lis Zerdinger?"

"He's still alive."

"Didn't you say you'd eliminate Lis if given the chance?"

An unknown voice and Egerson's voice flowed from the crystal ball.

The moment Egerson was about to shout upon seeing it, Anias said.

"Don't say it was manipulated. It's a method that any excellent mage can do simply. If you doubt it, you can entrust it to Rwalin for appraisal, or to the Magic Tower."

At her words, Egerson's face contorted.

Anias chuckled at Egerson.

"Checkmate. You did a pretty sloppy job for betraying the world, didn't you?"

It wasn't sloppy.

It was just that an unimaginable disaster had occurred.

No matter how deep and dark Zerdinger's shadow was.

It could not be as deep and dark as the world's shadow.

And just as the world's forces were divided into various forms.

The same was true for the shadows.

Who could have imagined?

That the entire darkness of the world followed only one person.

And that the one who ruled that darkness was the very person whose life they had targeted.

That it would reach their doorstep in less than half a day.

It was something no one could imagine.

Egerson opened his mouth.

"Zerdinger is by no means weak. I can just kill all of you here."

"Southern Lord. He says he'll kill all of us?"

"After all, a lowly shadow like them. There's no way they can withstand Zerdinger's sword."

Flames of aura erupted from Egerson's body.

Seeing this, Kirin said indifferently.

"I want to cut off that tongue of yours right now to prevent you from speaking nonsense. But unfortunately, that person said he would personally execute you."

"That person?"

The moment Egerson frowned.

Flash- Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-gang! Hwarururuk-!

Flames surged at the entrance of the Elder's Corridor.

Egerson's face hardened as he saw it.

"Zerdinger's flames?"

***

Hwarururuk-!

The entrance to the Elder's Corridor, now a sea of flames.

Leo was walking towards it.

Thump- Thump-

The knights who had tried to block Leo nearby were groaning.

"We found the evidence faster than expected."

"They probably never imagined that the Shadow Lords would dig into their affairs."

It was when Algren spoke indifferently.

"What in the world are you doing! Leo Plov!"

"Reed Zerdinger."

Leo's lips curled up as he saw Reed, the son of Egerson, the real power of the Elder Council.

"Do you know where my mother is?"

"What?"

"I heard she was kidnapped by the Hero Slayer."

Reed's complexion hardened at his words.

'How did this guy find out that much?'

"I found out it's related to your Elder Council."

"This guy! Where are you throwing a tantrum…!"

Bang-!

Hwarururuk-!

Reed's eyes widened as he stared at Leo's sword, which he had barely blocked.

"Because of you guys, my old personality is about to come out."

'How does this young punk have such killing intent…'

"I'll give you a choice. Will you tell me and die peacefully? Or will you die in agony?"

Gooooooh-!

"Arrogant fool! It seems you see nothing when you've ascended to a hero's position at such a young age! Not all heroes are the same…"

Thud-!

Splosh-

"Strangely, people like you never choose to die peacefully."

"Aaaargh!"

Reed clutched his right arm and screamed.

Raising his sword, Leo tilted his head slightly.

"Where should I cut next?"