Chapter 240

Thump… thump…

The long hallway of the Shan Empire’s royal palace.

Leo was walking through it.

The guide was the palace’s captain of the guard, who had just greeted Leo a short while ago.

“Guardian.”

The shadow that secretly operates in the darkness to defend against Tartarus’ invasion.

Of course, someone as prominent as the palace’s captain of the guard could be considered overly conspicuous.

But this man’s skills were too valuable to waste just on being the palace’s captain of the guard.

‘As strong as the professors of Lumeran.’

The professors of Lumeran are mostly among the strongest, capable of achieving feats worthy of being inscribed in the Hero Record.

Seeing such a man choose to stay in the shadows as the palace’s captain of the guard only reinforced the notion that this truly was the nation of shadows.

Thud!

Suddenly, the captain stopped walking.

They had arrived in front of a colossal door at the end of the hallway.

The door was a pitch-black color, almost resembling coal.

For a moment, it seemed like more of a giant chasm than a door.

“This is it.”

As the captain spoke, the door opened with a soft swooshing sound.

On the other side lay impenetrable darkness.

A darkness that caused discomfort to any living being who gazed upon it.

As darkness devoid of even moonlight spread, Fritz’s expression turned wary.

But Leo stepped forward without the slightest hesitation.

“Brother Leo… no, Senior Leo.”

Fritz looked flustered.

Jane, too, stared at Leo in surprise.

This darkness so deep it induced fear was daunting, even to the two shadow candidates.

The captain watched Leo’s receding back with a gleam in his eyes.

Fritz attempted to quickly follow Leo.

But the captain extended his hand to stop him.

“Only Sir Leo Flove has permission to meet His Majesty the Emperor.”

With those words, Leo turned back and said,

“I’ll be back.”

Thump… thump…

Leo disappeared into the darkness.

Swoosh… Boom!

With a heavy sound, the door slammed shut.

Even in the pitch darkness where sight was impossible, Leo didn’t hesitate to take his steps forward.

His sharp senses weren’t swallowed by the darkness; instead, they were honed even more keenly.

Humans instinctively fear the dark.

But for Leo, who had lived through the Era of Catastrophe, the darkness wasn’t something to be feared.

‘If anything, it’s familiar.’

Thump… thump…

In the silent darkness, the sound of his footsteps echoed loudly.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a flame ignited beside Leo.

It was the candle catching fire.

Leo’s crimson eyes glimmered in the darkness.

Whoosh… Whoosh… Whoosh…

One by one, other candles in the room lit up.

As the darkness lifted, the interior of the room was revealed.

The room was filled with all sorts of extravagant items.

Luxurious furniture adorned with gold and various jewels.

And countless artworks sprawled throughout the room in utter disarray.

There was no sense of uniformity; it was a messy space.

Even on one wall, numerous weapons were lined up.

And in the center of the room, there was a burly middle-aged man reclining on a massive bed, propped up by his hand.

With his foot scratching his calf and his other hand idly shaking a scepter, the man in the traditional red attire of Shan looked at Leo with pitch-black eyes and spoke.

“Are you Leo Flove?”

“Are you His Majesty, the Emperor of Shan?”

“I am the 74th Emperor of Shan, known as Shau.”

His emotionless black eyes pierced through Leo.

Just that gaze exuded an intense presence that dominated the room.

Shau himself was an imposing figure that weighed heavily on the atmosphere.

Though he wasn’t recognized as a hero, with the exception of the sword-saint, he was acknowledged to be stronger than any contemporary hero.

“Would you approach closer?”

Following Shau’s call, Leo walked forward, stopping about three meters away.

Shau, stroking his impeccable beard, spoke.

“A fine-looking young man who at such an early age has become the student council president of Lumeran… must be very popular. Tell me, have you already made quite a few women cry?”

At this unexpected question, Leo calmly replied.

“At Lumeran, inappropriate romantic relationships among students are strictly prohibited.”

At this statement, Shau’s eyes widened.

“Has anyone ever heard of such a rule? Young people full of vigor locked in the same place and yet nothing happens? They’re all secretly meeting up, aren’t they!”

As Shau roared, Leo stared at him blankly.

Anyone else would have been left speechless.

The emperor of the nation known as the “Land of Shadows,” Shau’s other title was “The Shadow King.”

Though his name didn’t grace the Hero Record, he was recognized as possessing equal skills to the greatest heroes of his time.

An emperor who rarely revealed himself publicly—considered the strongest shadow.

A mysterious dark hero whose existence was real yet elusive.

A terrifying figure, defined by cruel charisma.

This was the emperor of Shan.

And yet, such a figure was asking a boy he just met about love.

It was understandable for someone to feel disoriented, but Leo didn’t flicker an eye.

“Do you not date women?”

“I’ve only studied hard.”

“Boring straight-A student. Still, if that’s the case, you pass, I guess.”

‘Pass in what?’

With a meaningful smile, Shau shook his scepter and apologized.

“I apologize for asking such an uncomfortable question. The position of Emperor of Shan is rather dull.”

He spoke matter-of-factly.

“Rarely do visitors come. Most people are afraid of me.”

Stroking his chin, Shau raised a corner of his lips.

“That’s why the visit from the daughter’s friend brings me immense pleasure.”

Shau stared directly at Leo.

“So, you’ve come to fetch Sia?”

“Yes.”

“Sia has chosen to become a shadow of her own volition. Do you plan to persuade her?”

“It would be none of my concern if it’s truly Sia’s pure intention.”

Leo locked gazes with Shau’s black eyes.

“But if her choice was made while bearing various burdens, I will take her away.”

“What’s your reason for going this far? Surely, there’s nothing special between you and Sia other than being classmates, right?”

“Chen Sia will be one of the heroes who will lay the foundation to destroy Tartarus.”

“There are countless hero candidates in the world. And even the great heroes of history couldn’t achieve the downfall of Tartarus.”

Shau sneered.

“And yet, you speak about the downfall of Tartarus with absolute certainty. Don’t you think that’s presumptuous?”

“Not at all.”

While Leo responded nonchalantly with a smile, Shau narrowed his eyes.

‘Now that I think about it, didn’t he say he would completely obliterate Erebus?’

It was said that at a gathering of all his classmates, he had once proclaimed an absurdly outrageous goal.

‘One year has passed since then. How has this young man progressed? In merely a year, he’s risen to the position of Lumeran’s student council president and is now considered the next generation’s hero candidate, following the sword-saint.’

Shau closed his eyes.

‘While some say reckless daring is a privilege of youth… in his case, it doesn’t feel reckless at all.’

“Do you intend to draw the shadow-born child back into the outside world?”

“Yes. Would you allow me to meet with Chen Sia? If persuasion fails, I’ll gracefully step back.”

“Then it shall be impossible for me to let you meet her.”

Leo’s eyes flickered.

“If you hear me out now, the child will undoubtedly choose the path of a hero.”

Sighing, Shau opened his eyes.

“Since she was young, the girl has admired heroes.”

Shau rose from the bed.

“Leo Flove, through my years in the dark, I’ve seen many heroes. Heroes are, indeed, extraordinary beings. Noble souls willing to sacrifice themselves for the world.”

Thump…

As Shau stepped off the bed and approached Leo,

Leo looked up at Shau, who was easily over a head taller than him.

Swoosh…

The tip of his massive finger pointed at Leo.

“Only now do I understand. You, sir, are exceptionally extraordinary.”

Riu’s dark eyes focused on Leo.

“While the world speaks of you as the hero to succeed Kalyan… I believe otherwise.”

Riu’s eyes narrowed.

“Perhaps even on par with the founders of the hero academies 3000 years ago… or possibly even greater. You may well become a legendary hero akin to the greatest.”

Leo looked silently upward at Shau.

“That’s why I cannot let you meet Sia. To a child who has lived her entire life in the darkness, you’d be far too dazzling a light. It would blind her.”

Thud!

Shau returned to the bed and sat down.

“Heroes are heroes, and shadows are shadows. Do not overstep those boundaries.”

“Are you saying our worlds are too different?”

“Exactly.”

Shau smirked.

“Chen Sia is the material who will fulfill Shan’s long-held aspiration.”

“To have her name inscribed on the Hero Record as a shadow?”

“You’re aware, aren’t you? Did Rina tell you?”

“Is that so significant?”

“It is.”

Shau chuckled.

“As a member of our clan, not being recognized by the gods is akin to a cursed brand.”

There’s always a need for shadows in every era.

And for thousands of years, the royal family of the Shan Empire has lived as shadows.

Certainly, they didn’t choose this life to seek recognition.

It’s simply because there are duties that must be fulfilled, and for millennia, they’ve maintained their lineage.

Perhaps because they’ve been neglected by the gods for so long, they yearn for it more than ever.

Recognition from the gods.

“Isn’t there a way to free oneself from the obligations of a shadow?”

“None as a proud Shadow King, heir to Biharu.”

“Biharu?”

At the familiar name, Leo hesitated.

“Yes. A great shadow who was active since the Era of Catastrophe… whose name history never recorded.”

‘That Biharu?’

As Leo pondered, surprised by insights into the roots of the Shan Empire,

Shau continued, “Moreover, keeping Sia as a shadow would benefit your future.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sia will one day shoulder the burden of Shan.”

Shau smirked.

“And your goal aligns with another long-held aspiration of Shan. Sia will follow you as a shadow, effectively making the massive empire of Shan your own.”

“What does Chen Sia following me have anything to do with the Shan Empire?”

“…Are you really this stupid?”

Shau looked at Leo askance.

“Are you seriously unaware that Sia has feelings for you?”

“Oh, is that so?”

Leo seemed genuinely astonished but received the information with a lack of emotion.

Watching Leo’s indifferent reaction, Shau’s face contorted even more.

“How can you remain so calm even after knowing this? Is my daughter not charming enough for you?”

“How can you view a child as a romantic partner?”

“Sia is older than you, you know.”

At Shau’s exasperated expression, Leo shrugged.

What was he supposed to do just because Sia was technically older on the surface?

‘But inside, she’s still just a kid.’

Looking at Leo’s detached expression, Shau grabbed the back of his neck in frustration.

‘What kind of guy is this?’

Because Sia was the embodiment of the clan’s aspirations, Shau couldn’t support her dream.

But it wasn’t as if he didn’t love his daughter deeply.

Sia was a child he would never allow to be hurt even if she were placed within his eyes.

And yet, this was Leo’s response?

“In any case, please let me see Chen Sia.”

“Refused.”

Shau looked at Leo and said,

“While you remain in Shan, you’ll be treated as a distinguished guest. However, meeting Sia is out of the question.”

“And if I insist on meeting her by force?”

At Leo’s retort, Shau smirked.

“Go ahead and try. Though those who live in the light can never truly find those who dwell in the darkness.”