Chapter 19
After spending the entire day exploring Valdwess City, Elina, Elyra, and Eldern finally returned to the inn.
Leron followed a few steps behind them.
The sun had already begun to set.
The streets were gradually becoming quieter as merchants closed their stalls and travelers returned to their lodgings.
Elina was carrying a sleepy Elyra in her arms.
The little girl's eyes were barely open after an exhausting day.
"See? I told you it would be fun," Elina said with a smile while talking to Eldern.
"Yeah!" Eldern replied excitedly.
The moment they entered the inn, however, they immediately noticed something unusual.
Several men were gathered around a table near the center of the lobby.
Damnern.
Derrick.
The light-blue haired man with crimson eyes.
And another black-haired man with black eyes.
All four looked frustrated.
Especially Damnern.
His face looked as though his soul had left his body.
Several hours earlier…
When the red flare illuminated the sky above Valdwess City—
The light-blue haired man with crimson eyes moved immediately.
He crossed rooftops at incredible speed before arriving at the source.
Several moments later, he landed near the captured criminals.
The three men instantly recognized him.
Their faces turned pale.
"Syno Vider..."
One of them nearly collapsed from fear.
Syno's crimson eyes stared at them coldly.
"Explain everything you know about Lord Shadow."
His voice was devoid of emotion.
"If you still wish to live."
The three criminals immediately began talking.
Neither loyalty nor pride survived long when faced with Syno's gaze.
Everything they knew was revealed.
Not long afterward.
A powerful gust of wind swept through the area.
Derrick appeared almost instantly.
The Sixth Strongest Warrior had clearly rushed here the moment he saw the flare.
A few moments later, three officers from the Valdwess Guard finally arrived.
Compared to Derrick, their speed was embarrassing.
"Did you get anything useful?" Derrick asked.
Syno simply nodded.
A smile appeared on Derrick's face.
"Good."
The captured criminals were quickly taken away by the guards.
A few minutes later.
The four men gathered inside Derrick's usual tavern.
Damnern.
Derrick.
Syno.
And a black-haired man sitting awkwardly at the table.
The atmosphere was heavy.
The black-haired man cleared his throat.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Zero Ballack. I'm one of Lord Der—"
"I don't care who you are."
Damnern interrupted coldly.
Zero immediately shut his mouth.
"..."
The tavern suddenly felt colder.
Derrick rubbed his forehead.
Some things never changed.
"Syno."
Derrick leaned back.
"Explain."
Syno began recounting everything he had learned from the criminals.
The others listened carefully.
The more he spoke, the more serious everyone's expressions became.
When he finally finished, silence followed.
Derrick frowned.
"So this Lord Shadow managed to unite almost every robber and criminal group in Valdwess under his command?"
Syno nodded.
Zero folded his arms.
"According to the information we've gathered, his Sigil is Destruction."
Everyone looked toward him.
"Anything he touches is completely destroyed."
Zero's expression darkened.
"Nothing remains."
"He is extremely dangerous."
Damnern's eyes narrowed.
"I don't care how strong he is."
His voice was ice-cold.
"What matters is that he's currently hiding inside an abandoned temple north of Valdwess."
The moment he finished speaking, he stood up.
Then walked toward the exit.
Derrick sighed.
"Oi. Wait."
He immediately followed.
Syno stood.
Zero followed after them.
The hunt had begun.
Thirty minutes later..
The group arrived at the abandoned temple.
The structure looked ancient.
Cracks covered nearly every wall.
Parts of the roof had already collapsed.
Nature had slowly reclaimed most of the building.
Derrick frowned.
"Are you sure this is the place?"
Before anyone could answer—
CRACK!
A massive section of the stone ceiling suddenly broke loose directly above them. Zero's eyes widened in panic. "LOOK OUT!"
As the enormous boulder crashed downward, Derrick didn't even flinch. He casually raised a single finger. The moment the falling stone made contact with his fingertip—
POOF.
The entire boulder instantly dissolved into a cloud of harmless dust, scattering gently around them.
Derrick blinked, dusting off his shoulder. "...That startled me."
Zero stared.
Syno stared.
Even Damnern glanced at him.
Only Derrick could react to a collapsing roof by saying he was startled after casually erasing it from existence.
Zero sighed.
"You're monsters."
Damnern ignored the conversation.
His eyes moved across the temple ruins.
The collapsed walls.
The shattered pillars.
The deep scars covering the stone floor.
"Without a doubt..."
His expression darkened.
"This was a battlefield."
Everyone fell silent.
The amount of destruction was enormous.
Someone powerful had fought here.
"What happened here?" Syno wondered aloud.
Then Zero noticed something.
"There are bodies."
Several corpses lay scattered throughout the ruins.
All were dead.
The group carefully moved forward.
Then—
"Hey! Over here!"
Derrick's voice echoed through the temple.
The others quickly approached.
The moment they arrived, they froze.
A corpse lay before them.
Black clothing.
Red cloak.
Missing its head.
Zero's eyes widened.
"No way..."
Syno immediately remembered the criminals' testimony.
One of them had specifically said:
"Only Lord Shadow is allowed to wear black clothes with a red cloak. It's how everyone recognizes him."
Syno slowly looked at the corpse.
Then at the others.
His voice became uncertain.
"B-Based on the information we received..."
He swallowed.
"I think..."
His eyes returned to the headless body.
"...this really is Lord Shadow."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even Derrick looked shocked.
The feared criminal mastermind.
The man who had united Valdwess' underworld.
Dead.
Just like that.
"Who killed him?" Derrick asked.
Genuine confusion filled his face.
The scene around them suggested an intense battle.
Yet whoever had won was gone.
Not a single clue remained.
Not even Lord Shadow's head.
Damnern clicked his tongue.
"Tch."
His expression grew darker.
This wasn't good.
A dead enemy was one thing.
An unknown individual capable of killing Lord Shadow was another matter entirely.
And at that moment—
They had no idea which possibility was more dangerous.
Two hour before Lord Shadow body was discovered...
Back in the remote tavern.
The twelve robbers were still celebrating.
Coins covered the table.
Jewelry.
Watches.
Stolen valuables.
Their laughter echoed throughout the building.
Then everything changed.
The dark-blond-haired young man sitting beside them calmly reached into a large sack he had brought with him.
No one paid much attention at first.
Until he pulled something out.
The laughter stopped.
Instantly.
The tavern became deathly silent.
"..."
"..."
The color drained from every robber's face.
One man nearly dropped his drink.
Another accidentally knocked over a chair while trying to stand.
"N-No way..."
"T-That's impossible..."
The object hanging from the young man's hand slowly swayed.
A human head.
The severed head of a man.
Cold features.
Because that face belonged to the man who ruled the underworld from the shadows.
"L-Lord Shadow...?"
One robber's voice trembled uncontrollably.
Another staggered backward.
"T-That's actually Lord Shadow!"
Cold sweat poured down their faces.
Fear gripped their hearts.
The young man himself appeared completely relaxed.
As though carrying around the severed head of one of the most feared criminals in the region was perfectly normal.
In his other hand, he was still holding a piece of fried chicken.
Crunch.
He took another bite.
Then smiled.
Terrifying smile.
Several robbers instinctively reached for their weapons.
The young man noticed.
His smile widened.
"Relax."
His voice was calm.
"No need to be nervous."
The young man carefully placed Lord Shadow's head on the center of the table.
Like he was setting down an ordinary object.
The robbers unconsciously leaned away from it.
Then the young man stood.
Brushed a few crumbs from his clothes.
And gave a small bow.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
His purple eyes slowly swept across the twelve robbers.
"My name is Kaelrix Noxes."
Silence.
No one recognized the name.
Yet somehow that felt even more frightening.
Because if someone powerful enough to kill Lord Shadow was unknown...
Then what exactly was he?
Kaelrix smiled again.
Then gently patted Lord Shadow's head.
"From this moment onward..."
His voice remained polite.
Almost cheerful.
"...I'm your new boss."
The robbers froze.
"Let's get along well, alright?"
The smile on Kaelrix's face never disappeared.
Yet somehow, everyone in the room felt a chill run down their spine.
Complete silence.
The twelve robbers stared at him.
Then at Lord Shadow's severed head.
Then back at him.
At that moment, none of them dared question his claim to leadership.
Because regardless of who Kaelrix Noxes was...
Only one fact mattered.
Lord Shadow was dead.
And the man holding his head was still smiling while eating fried chicken.
End of Chapter 19