Book 1 Chapter 923

923.

Thump- Thump-

"Ugh…!"

Perena, who had been walking with difficulty, leaning on a summoner's staff, collapsed onto the sand with a thud.

Currently, Perena was wearing a thick hood to protect herself from the desert's direct sunlight.

Originally, it was a high-quality item with temperature control magic, but its function was lost when she was forced to fall.

Even so, considering the desert's heat, it was helpful in many ways.

If she hadn't had this hood at the moment, her face would have been buried in the sand and burned.

The heat of the sand felt through the thick fabric was truly murderous.

"Am I really going to die like this?"

She wandered the desert without a drop of water.

Even as a first-year student, a Hero Academy student is a superhuman, beyond the realm of ordinary people.

But the harsh desert climate was enough to threaten her life.

Perena, collapsed in the middle of the desert, forced a self-deprecating smile.

‘If I had known this would happen… Should I have teamed up with kids from other schools…?’

The reason Perena was crossing the desert alone was because she refused to cooperate with students from other Hero Academies.

‘Why on earth did I do something so reckless?’

Perhaps as a minimum mercy, first-year students who free-fell were given bags containing some food and water.

It was impossible to know how long it would take to reach the test location, but it was easy to guess that supplies were provided at a dangerously minimal level.

The problem was that merely crossing the desert wasn't the entirety of the test.

The appearance of low-level monsters, encountered while under mana restrictions making it difficult to even summon low-level phantom beasts, was enough to push Perena further into a corner.

‘I'm disqualified as the Lumern class representative. If I had known this would happen, should I have just handed over the class representative position to Millia or Vito?’

She had simply been superior to Millia and Vito in skill, naturally becoming the class representative.

Perena had no particular ambition for the class representative position.

However, having become a representative of Lumern, she thought she should at least not bring shame to the school's name.

The class representative is a position that inevitably attracts people's attention.

If she performed poorly as class representative, it could not only harm the school but also the honor of the Hergin family.

‘In the first place, this… I'm disqualified as a shadow, too.’

Perena bit her lip.

Since childhood, she had lived to become the shadow of her older sister, Eliza Hergin.

A shadow's mission is largely twofold.

First, the mission of the sword, cutting down those who betray the world.

Second, the mission of the shield, protecting heroes from hero hunters.

Since childhood, Perena had lived a life of protecting Eliza and, in case of an emergency, sacrificing herself in Eliza's stead.

If there were siblings in a direct lineage, the one with superior heroic qualities would be the successor.

The others would be raised as shields to protect the successor.

This was a common tradition among noble hero families with deep histories.

In a sense, a shadow protecting a hero had to be the person closest to the hero.

One who stays close and protects their life.

Therefore, the shadow role was entrusted to someone more trustworthy than anyone else.

It became natural to assign that role to the most ideal blood relative.

‘Originally, Senior Celia and Senior Chelsea would have had the same role as me.’

Perena recalled the two seniors who would have been in the same situation as her.

But the two of them walked a different path from Perena.

‘Because they are different people from me. They were born with overwhelming heroic qualities.’

Although they were born as younger siblings of noble hero family successors, they possessed heroic qualities no less than the successors themselves.

It was a waste to let such qualities rot as a shadow.

Though they were in the same situation but different circumstances, she felt no jealousy.

However…

She did feel jealousy towards that one person.

No, to be exact, she felt a sense of betrayal.

Chen Xia.

The shadow who became a hero.

First-year students from shadow candidate backgrounds looked at Chen Xia with admiration, envy, and respect.

Among shadows, the Emperor of Shan was special.

Because the Emperor of Shan was always the strongest shadow.

Literally a perfect shadow.

Such a future Emperor of Shan had made a name for herself in the Hero Records.

For the shadows, it was a shock akin to the dawn of a new era.

But Perena was disappointed in Chen Xia.

She was proud to live as the shadow of her older sister, Eliza.

Because she believed that for heroes to shine, there needed to be shadows like herself.

While it was true that shadows were imprinted as beings of fear, it was by no means strange to have pride as a shadow.

Perena had pride as a shadow.

Of course, it wasn't like that from the beginning.

‘When people found out I was a shadow. The gazes they gave me were really difficult to bear.’

Perena, a direct descendant of the Hergin family, had many occasions to interact with those who visited the family.

Naturally, the guests were individuals befitting the Hergin family's status.

Among them, the Head of the Hergin family would often inform those deeply connected to the family that Perena was Eliza's shadow.

‘Among my peers, there were so many kids who looked at me with faces mixed with fear, scorn, and mockery.’

Adults weren't much different.

Occasionally, there were also those who sent sympathetic glances, as if feeling sorry.

Whatever it was, all those reactions were hurtful to young Perena.

And she hated her fate of having to be a shadow to death, and while loving her sister Eliza, she also, in a way, hated her.

‘My sister doesn't know, though.’

Then, one day, as she was despairing over her situation.

She heard a story about a certain shadow.

‘Senior Xia.’

Among shadows, Chen Xia had been a famous figure for a long time.

A shadow who was already active as a shadow at an age when she should have been training as a shadow candidate.

A genius who, as Shan's successor, took on the mission of punishing traitors at a young age.

Perena knew Chen Xia even before Eliza knew about her.

For young Perena, Chen Xia's story became an opportunity to feel pride in being a shadow.

She believed that the Princess of Shan, who had been active as a shadow from a young age, must possess immense conviction.

Thus, young Perena came to admire Chen Xia, whose face she didn't even know, as much as her sister Eliza.

And when Chen Xia became a second-year student and it was revealed that she had entered Lumern, Perena asked her father and was able to enroll in Lumern the following year.

Coincidentally, the perception of shadows was gradually changing, and there was talk of many shadow candidates enrolling.

That's why the head of the Hergin family also thought it wouldn't be bad to enroll his second daughter, a shadow, in Lumern.

So when she saw Chen Xia, whom she admired so much.

Perena was disappointed.

She had imagined her to be more like a shadow than anyone else.

But Chen Xia, whom she had thought would be a flawless shadow, was a person who shone brightly, just like her sister Eliza.

Then, she made a name for herself in the Hero Records alongside her sister.

‘Why do you think you can't become a hero? It's not good to set your own limits. Miss Perena, you're the Lumern class representative, aren't you? You should practice the school's teachings better than anyone else.’

As Chen Xia's words to her from a few days ago came to mind.

‘I'm a shadow, Senior Chen Xia. I'm different from you.’

Her own pathetic voice, speaking coldly, also came to mind.

‘To admire her presumptuously… and then feel presumptuously betrayed. I really am pathetic.’

The reason she had blindly ventured into the desert alone was also due to her rebellious reluctance to associate with hero candidates.

This rebellious spirit, almost bordering on stubbornness, had produced such a pathetic result.

‘…Should I drop out?’

Feeling her mood plummet to its worst, Perena felt the strength drain from her entire body.

Her mind grew increasingly faint from the sun's heat.

‘…Am I going to die like this?’

With that thought, Perena lost consciousness.

Stomp- Stomp-

It was then that shadows, who had been observing the situation around Perena, approached.

"Who are you?"

Someone of short stature, wearing a hood, asked.

A clear, ringing voice that made the listener feel good.

The shadows paused and looked at the hooded figure.

Seeing them in the Ajo Desert now, it was clear they were first-years.

But Anyas, the successor to the Elf Shadow Lord, couldn't help but be wary of the person who appeared before her.

‘There was no sign of them approaching?’

As Anyas was on guard.

"Never seen a dwarf before? Why are you staring so offensively?"

Anyas, making a strange expression at the other's irritated response, looked sideways.

Another elf shadow, Thea.

He possessed a mana characteristic called 'Truth and Lies'.

It was a rare mana characteristic that allowed him to know if the opponent's answer to a question was true or false.

"Is that Damian?"

"So?"

Anyas looked at Thea.

Seeing Thea nod slightly, Anyas tilted her head.

She wondered why she hadn't noticed the approach of a first-year student named Damian.

"Go your way. This one is disqualified."

"That shadow is disqualified?"

‘Seeing as they recognize a shadow, they must be from a shadow background? In that case, it's possible I wouldn't have noticed.’

Anyas, thinking the opponent's stealth skills were remarkable, said.

"Yes. So don't worry about it…"

"What are the disqualification conditions? Becoming incapacitated?"

"If you're rescued by us, you're disqualified."

"Oh? Then I'll take her."

"Comradeship?"

It seemed to be a case of a shadow helping another shadow.

"Think what you like."

Having answered thus, he carried Perena on his back and walked through the desert.

***

Crackling-

A bonfire was burning in a rock crevice suitable for camping.

"Huh?"

Perena, who had been lying in front of the bonfire, sat up.

"You're awake."

Snap-!

As the dwarf, who had broken a branch suitable for firewood, spoke, Perena's eyes widened.

"What are you staring at?"

"No… are you an elf?"

"I'm a dwarf, though?"

"With that face?"

Perena's mouth dropped open.

Seeing Perena, the dwarf scrunched up their face.

Seeing the dwarf, Perena looked around.

"You're the one who helped me?"

"Yes."

"……I owe you one."

Perena gave a bitter smile.

Then she asked.

"Who are you?"

"Damian."

"I know that."

"What?"

At the somewhat disjointed conversation, the beautiful dwarf furrowed their brow.

Perena said to the dwarf.

"I know you're a first-year, Damian. What I'm asking is your name. I owe you, so I'd like to repay you later if possible. But I don't recall seeing anyone with your appearance among the Damian students? With that look, you would surely have stood out?"

Perena tilted her head.

Seeing Perena, the dwarf threw a branch onto the firewood and muttered to themself.

‘A Damian student…’

Soon, Damian finished assessing the situation.

‘This is reality.’