LHAHS Chapter 358
At the highest point of Seiren stood the Plaza of Stars, a place accessible only with the principal's authority.
It was used solely for crucial meetings within Seiren or for the Elven Council, making it one of the most significant locations in elven society.
And yet, an undead infused with the Lich King's power had appeared there.
That left only one possible suspect.
Especially given the involvement of the elven Shadows.
With the situation escalating to such an extent, once order had been restored, all members of the Pureblood Society within Seiren were taken into custody for investigation.
Immediately afterward, Leo pursued Acting Headmaster Lehagen… leading them to this moment.
"You're trying to run away?"
"Run away?"
Lehagen's face twisted in anger. "What nonsense is that? Have you, the Lumene student council president, lost all sense of decorum? Where do you get the audacity to…"
"It'd make sense for you to flee," Leo cut in coldly, "if you wanted to cover up the fact that you made a deal with Tartaros."
Lehagen's face stiffened. Then, his expression twisted into a scowl. "A deal with Tartaros? What do you take me for?! I follow the will of the Nebula Pioneer and the Comet Mage more than anyone…!"
"If you truly followed Luna and Seiren's will," Leo said, his face devoid of expression, "you wouldn't have discriminated against students like that."
Step.
A chill seeped into the air as Leo's killing intent surged. "You claim to follow them? Don't make me laugh. All you did was twist their will into something that suited your own selfish interpretation."
"You dare speak such blasphemy!" Lehagen bellowed. "A mere human dares lecture me on the will of the Nebula Pioneer and the Comet Mage? Know your place!"
"You're the one who doesn't know his place."
Leo's voice was razor-sharp. "If you truly followed their will, you wouldn't even think of making a deal with Tartaros."
"Hah… Hahaha…" Lehagen let out a low chuckle. "A naïve child like you could never understand."
"So you don't even deny it anymore?" Leo's eyes turned cold.
"This was all for the sake of peace," Lehagen declared. "To protect this world, following in the footsteps of Luna and Seiren!"
He stared at Leo, his eyes blazing with conviction.
"The foolish Lich King revealed his intentions to me! He begged me to eliminate Erebos so he could take full control of Tartaros! In exchange, I was to receive Seiren's remains. To a necromancer like me, do you understand what that means, Leo Plov?! Can you grasp the nobility of my sacrifice, my willingness to tread a dirty path for the sake of this world?!"
There wasn't a trace of guilt or remorse in Lehagen's voice.
Leo simply observed him and spoke calmly. "There's only one thing I understand."
Shing—!
Leo drew his sword.
"You're an idiot," he said.
"What?"
"Tartaros already belongs to the Lich King," Leo explained, his killing intent growing heavier. "And its commanders are fanatics. They would never betray Erebos… because to them, Erebos is a god."
His crimson eyes gleamed.
"You threw this world into chaos for your own selfish greed. Don't you dare tarnish Luna and Seiren's names any further."
Vwooom—!
Mana erupted from Lehagen's body.
"Tarnish? As if a fool like you could comprehend my vision!"
A massive magic circle formed in the air.
"You'll regret showing hostility toward me! I'm sure you think highly of yourself for becoming Lumene's student council president at such a young age, but the world is vast!"
With a shout, Lehagen unleashed a dazzling flash of lightning.
"You're just another fleeting candidate in the grand history of heroes!"
Flash! BOOOOM!
The radiant lightning struck, obliterating everything around Leo.
Lehagen smirked.
Fwoosh—!
Through the storm of electricity, Leo charged straight at him.
Lehagen's eyes widened in shock.
Sching—!
Leo's sword slashed through his wrist.
Clang! Splatter—!
"Aaaargh!"
His severed hand, still clutching his staff, tumbled to the ground, blood splattering across the floor.
Clutching the bleeding stump, Lehagen writhed in agony, his face contorted with disbelief.
"H-How…?!"
Leo hadn't cast any defensive spells.
"What sort of trickery did you use?!"
"Trickery?" Leo stared at the kneeling Lehagen, expressionless. "I simply dispelled your magic."
Lehagen's face twisted further. "You mock me?! That's impossible!"
Mana surged violently from his body, running rampant with his fury as he unleashed a barrage of Stellar Magic toward Leo.
But before the spells could even reach him, they shattered into fragments of mana, scattering into nothingness.
"This… this is a nightmare… It can't be real!" Lehagen's face went deathly pale.
Even he could see it. His Stellar Magic was being unraveled with nothing more than a glance from Leo.
Before Leo, Lehagen's magic was nothing more than a crude parlor trick.
How… How is this possible?!
It felt like his entire life's devotion to Stellar Magic was being denied.
"How…? How can such a thing be? How can a mere human reach that level?! Who… Who taught you Stellar Magic?!"
Leo stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "The one who taught me Stellar Magic? Luna Luminance."
"You… to the very end!" Lehagen's bloodshot eyes burned with rage.
Shing!
Leo's sword flashed. Lehagen's head flew into the air.
Splurt! Thud! Roll…!
Blood sprayed in a crimson arc. Leo, his expression devoid of emotion, approached the lifeless body and drove his sword straight into the heart.
Thunk!
Ensuring the kill, he finally spoke. "How long do you plan to keep watching from the shadows?"
At his words, a figure stepped forward. The master of the Northern Tower, Algren, emerged from the darkness.
The elven lord of Shadows bowed his head.
"I greet the master of Xian."
It was a surreal sight. The ruler of the Northern Tower bowing to a mere student, even if that student was the president of Lumene's student council.
However, Leo found nothing strange about it. Algren was not acknowledging him as a student. He was recognizing him as the true ruler of Shadows, the master of Xian.
"Incredible," Algren mused, stepping closer with a curious glint in his eyes. "Lehagen wasn't someone to be taken lightly, yet you dispatched him so effortlessly."
His gaze sharpened. "But more importantly… how did you track him down faster than I did?"
Algren had begun his pursuit the moment he sensed Lehagen's disappearance, yet Leo had reached him first. Tracking, hunting, and eliminating targets unseen were the specialties of Shadows.
But Leo? A hero candidate, someone who thrived in the light? How had he outpaced a Shadow Lord?
Leo merely smirked. "Did you think the emperor of Xian handed me his empire and made me the ruler of Shadows for nothing?"
Algren's eyes widened slightly before his lips curled into a knowing smile.
I see. So Anya wasn't just speaking nonsense.
The night before, his daughter, Anya, had declared that Leo was a master worthy of serving. At the time, Algren had his doubts, not about Leo's abilities, but about his nature.
There was no denying Leo's achievements as a hero candidate. It was clear he would become an influential figure, someone who could one day shape the world.
But heroes, who lived in the light, were fundamentally different from Shadows, who thrived in the darkness.
Younger Shadows often find themselves drawn to dazzling heroes.
For thousands of years, Shadows had taken on the burdens heroes could not. They hadn't just cleaned up messes. They had served as unseen blades, ensuring heroes could continue walking in the light.
Even the most prestigious hero families had Shadows lurking beyond the veil of their legacies.
Anya had likely been drawn to Leo's brilliance.
But this… this is something else entirely.
As a ruler of Shadows who had spent his life submerged in darkness, Algren understood. Leo was not just a hero. He executed traitors without hesitation.
He was both a Hero and a Shadow.
A man who had long since stepped into the depths of the abyss. A being that straddled both light and darkness.
A shade of gray… I never thought such a person could exist.
Lowering his head once more, Algren murmured, "My apologies. I was disrespectful."
Leo resumed walking, and Algren followed.
"So, how did you know he was a traitor?"
"I've seen a similar method before."
Back during the Age of Calamity, the Lich King had burrowed into the ranks of the elves, festering like an infection. The tactics he used then were nearly identical to what had happened here.
Five thousand years. More than enough time for history to repeat itself.
Leo glanced at Algren. "And how did you figure it out?"
"We discovered traces of the Hero Slayer interacting with the Pureblood Society."
Leo halted.
Algren met his gaze and bowed his head. "He is a traitor who has slain countless heroes."
"I know."
The Hero Slayer was the most infamous hero killer in recorded history. His legacy of bloodshed was so terrifying that even history books remembered his name. No one was unfamiliar with him.
"But didn't the Hero Slayer disappear five hundred years ago?"
One day, after sowing terror across the world and bathing in the blood of heroes, he had vanished from the pages of history. Some claimed heroes had slain him. Others believed the Shadows had erased him. Regardless, what was certain was that he was a figure of the past.
"That's true," Algren said. "But in the northern regions of the continent, our Shadows encountered an individual wielding the same power as the Hero Slayer. Only one of our scouts survived the encounter."
"……"
"We currently suspect the Lich King's involvement. The Pureblood Society is also closely linked to him."
Leo narrowed his eyes.
Algren continued, "Once we uncover more information, we'll report it to you through Anya."
Leo smirked. "Tell me something: When did you decide to be so loyal to me?"
"Anya is older than you, you know."
Leo shot him a flat look. "That's not the point."
Algren chuckled. "It's because you are the master of the Book of Shadows. If you acknowledge us, then Shadows can finally have their names written into Hero Record. That alone would be enough for many of us to lay down our lives for you," he replied.
For millennia, Shadows had been cast aside, discriminated against, but Leo had the power to change that.
"Is that the only reason?"
"…I also wanted to see your abilities as the King of Shadows." Algren lowered his head once more. "I needed to judge whether you are truly someone we can entrust our fate to."
Leo let out a quiet chuckle. "I hope I meet your expectations, then."
At those words, Algren smiled.
Perhaps… this boy really can do it.
Not by leading Shadows with the light, but by embracing them with the darkness.
He was neither a hero bathed in radiance nor a being swallowed by the abyss. He simply moved forward, carrying both light and darkness.
A being reminiscent of Kyle, the one who started it all…