[Vol. 9] Chapter 111: Flame Shadow
The Grand Commander scrambled and crawled out of the bed chamber. His heels caught on the carpet a few times and he almost fell flat on his face. Seeing how disheveled he looked, Ewald couldn't help but snort in contempt, a derisive chuckle pushing out through his nose.
“Trash is just trash. If there were any decent people to choose from, why would I ever let a piece of rubbish run the Ice Wolf Guard?”
“It's all the fault of those restless lowborn, they should all be killed!”
As if answering his angry muttering, a low voice, like it came from a deep prison, suddenly echoed through the empty bedchamber.
“Your Majesty need not worry. They're only noisy little pests. The great tide will crush them, you are the chosen ruler of this age. Sooner or later they'll understand.”
“...!”
When the king heard that voice, his expression changed at once. He straightened from his lazy lean and quickly glanced toward the young beauties on the bed. A faint killing intent flashed in his eyes, but on the surface he only waved his hand in annoyance. The girls hurried to stand, not even bothering to fix their shoes or socks properly. Barefoot, they stepped on the cold floor and retreated respectfully, disappearing from sight.
Only after the bedchamber doors were closed again and the luxurious room was empty except for Ewald did he slowly let out a sour breath. He looked around the empty space beside him and said, a little unhappy,
“Why are you here? Didn't I tell you not to show up where people can see you unless it's important? Don't you know cleaning up the mess afterward is a pain? What a shame, I actually liked those little toys of mine…”
“Ah—”
A faint flash of light, and a figure in a black cloak and hood quietly appeared close in front of the king. Fog-like shadow hid the person's face so it couldn't be seen clearly. In their hand was a strange wand that looked like it was made from white bones. The strange, hard-to-read aura around them seemed to lower the temperature in the whole bedchamber.
The voice was a little hoarse, and it was hard to tell if it came from a man or a woman. Black, star-like eyes had a faint, strange light. The tone sounded teasing, but it carried a different kind of temptation.
“I came to see Your Majesty because of something important. Money and beautiful women, as long as you hold this position, won't you have as much of them as you could possibly want?”
“Don't talk nonsense to me.”
Ewald waved his hand irritably and cut them off. “You said that brat returned to Salzburg and plans to cause trouble here. I had people turn the whole capital inside out, and we didn't find a single clue. What's going on?”
The black-robed figure let the bone wand turn slowly in their hand. Their attitude stayed calm and light. They only shook their head and said quietly, “Your Majesty knows well that the calculations from that one cannot be wrong. No future or secret in this world can escape their prediction, even the gods are not excluded. If nothing turns up, doesn't that mean our warning is slowly becoming real?”
The king's face changed again. His hand by the bed tightened without him meaning to. He could be merciless and violent in front of his subordinates, but before this mysterious cloaked presence he seemed to lose his temper completely.
His Adam's apple moved as he swallowed and he ground his teeth, speaking in a half-threat.
“Is it fun to talk coldly like that? Don't forget, if it weren't for my help, you couldn't have openly done what you did. Neither my good cousin nor the Snow Empire would allow such things. If I fall, you won't have a good end either!”
“Hehe, Your Majesty, no need to be impatient. Of course, we understand that logic, that’s exactly why we came right away to offer you our help~”
“Oh? What kind of help? Speak quickly!”
The black-robed figure gently turned the handle of the bone staff. Without showing any obvious movement, a moment later, a deep shadowy light appeared in their hand. It looked somewhat like the gem on top of the staff, but this one was made entirely of an unreal, energy-like form.
“Please look, Your Majesty. This is one of the first results from our initial work. Although it’s only a very basic form, its power is already beyond what words can describe.”
That shadowy light reflected in Ewald’s eyes. It pulsed faintly, like a beating heart, as if it wanted to swallow all the light around it. But on the surface, it didn’t seem to give off any real power. Narrowing his eyes, the king leaned in closer to observe it for a while, then frowned slightly in doubt.
“It doesn’t look that special. Are you sure it’s as strong as you said before? You mean this thing alone can rival an army?”
The black-robed figure let out a low laugh, the sound echoing faintly through the empty chamber, chilling and strange.
“Hearing is deceiving; seeing is believing. If Your Majesty doesn’t trust me, you can find some controllable vessel to hold this power and use it to get through your current crisis. When we manage to awaken and refine a more stable version, then you may consider absorbing it yourself.”
“Just think, with a mortal body, you could rise to become a true superior being. Then, nothing and no one will ever dare covet your throne again. You might even… gain eternal life, endless years to come!”
“Good! Hahahahaha!!!”
As the black-robed figure grew more excited, they suddenly raised both hands high. The shadowy light in their palm swelled slightly. The king seemed infected by the thrill and expectation, slapping the bed and standing up, laughing wildly.
“In that case, I’ll trust you one more time!”
But neither of them noticed—
At the edge of that deep, light-swallowing shadow, a small black eye of flame had quietly opened. Its cold gaze swept indifferently over the luxurious room before silently closing again, disappearing into the darkness of the shadow.
………………………
Salzburg, Mercenary Guild.
Bringing Alexia with her, the priestess returned to the guild once again.
Although yesterday’s large-scale search and chaos had slightly affected the crowd, it didn’t shake the prosperity of the mercenary trade in Preston at all.
The guild hall was bustling with noise. Rough laughter, arguments over prices, and the clashing of weapons all mixed together. The guards at the entrance, armed and greeting guests, seemed even more numerous than before. Violet could even sense faint, hidden presences on rooftops and in dark corners. Clearly, the guild had placed hidden sentries just in case.
It seemed that after yesterday’s commotion, they too had realized that a storm was brewing in Salzburg and had begun preparing to deal with it.
In truth, no matter what actions Grey and the rebels planned in Salzburg, even if they really overthrew the current king and changed the dynasty, it would not truly affect long-established groups like the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild or the Mercenary Guild.