LHAHS Chapter 544
Bihar's earliest memories were of an ashen sky, but what was even darker and gloomier than the sky was the world around her.
Death was always at her side. She survived each day with desperate effort, but the more she clung to life, the deeper she felt herself sinking into a bottomless abyss.
Then, one day, in that deep and pitch-black world, a man with hair and eyes the same color as the sky and a woman with deep, dark hair and eyes appeared before her.
The man, Kyle, sat down and looked down at her, who was staring up at him. "You're just like me, clawing your way to survive, no matter what," he chuckled.
Lysinas let out a quiet sigh and knelt in front of her. "What is it you want to do?"
"I don't want others to end up like me," Bihar replied.
She didn't know much about the world beyond, but she at least understood that the things she had done were wrong.
She had to trample on those she struggled to survive with. She had to kill with her own hands those she once laughed alongside. Kindness and compassion for others meant throwing away her own life.
That's not right.
"I can't forgive the people who do these things," Bihar said her thoughts plainly.
Lysinas' eyes wavered as she looked at Bihar. Even though she had grown up in a horrific environment, instead of simply resenting those who had made her this way, she longed for no one else to suffer the same fate.
Lysinas instinctively realized something.
This child will walk in darkness.
Just like the Black Dragons, who had always carried the duty of protecting the world from the shadows.
Had the world not been like this, she herself would have lived such a life.
It's the duty passed down through generations of Black Dragons, but now, the one taking on that role is…
Swish—
Seeing a hand reaching out beside her, Lysinas turned her head.
Kyle was holding his hand out to Bihar, and she took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet.
Without saying a word, Kyle then began walking away.
Bihar immediately moved to follow, but Lysinas stopped her.
"Little one," she said concernedly.
"Yes?"
"Don't live your whole life in darkness."
Gently, Lysinas gave the young Bihar a push forward.
Bihar blinked, staring in a daze at the woman walking beside her. That was the first time she had ever seen light.
"Who's this?" Velkia asked, brimming with a strange defiance toward Kyle.
"My disciple."
"No, I'm your disciple," Velkia argued, standing before Bihar. She solemnly declared, "I'm your senior. You'd better treat me well."
"Okay."
"Then go fetch me some water. Your senior is thirsty," Velkia commanded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
SMACK!
Kyle smacked her on the butt.
Bihar couldn't help but laugh at the scene. She didn't dislike Velkia, but they were fundamentally different, and not just because they were of different races.
Everyone born during the Age of Calamity carried shadows in their eyes, even the Brave Hero Aaron, but Velkia—Velkia had no such shadow.
She's like Lady Lysinas.
She put people at ease. A person as radiant as sunlight, so bright that jealousy didn't even seem possible, only admiration.
That was Bihar's first impression of Velkia.
She walks a different path from me, but one day… just as Master supports Lady Lysinas, I might have to support her.
If the day ever came when they had to take the place of the Great Heroes, Bihar vowed to do just that.
Thus, she became Kyle's disciple, and her days were filled with training alongside Velkia.
As she grew stronger, she began assisting Kyle in hunting down traitors.
She had no complaints. No, if anything, she had wanted it more than anyone.
A task that was necessary but not just anyone could do.
Because it's a dirty job.
As that thought crossed her mind, someone placed a teacup in front of her.
Bihar snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at the person sitting across from her.
"What's got you so deep in thought?" Lysinas asked.
Bihar shook her head. "It's nothing."
"Shall I take a guess?" Lysinas lifted her mug to her lips. "You think the work you do is dirty, don't you?"
"……" Bihar shrank back slightly under Lysinas' knowing gaze.
She was staying at Lysinas' home. On the day she first arrived in Godthrone, Lysinas had taken her in.
As the lord of Godthrone, Lysinas was often busy, so they didn't have many chances to sit and talk, but sometimes, like this, they did.
"The work you do is not dirty," Lysinas said, taking another sip of her tea. "Of course, hunting down traitors from the shadows means you'll use any method necessary."
Traitors were even more vicious toward the hunters who came to judge them than demons were, so the hunters had to be just as ruthless. They had to instill absolute terror.
No one knew that better than Lysinas. If not for the era they lived in, it would have been her doing that job instead.
Bihar knew that as well, but still…
It doesn't suit her at all.
To Bihar, Lysinas was someone who shone too brightly. She couldn't even imagine someone like Lysinas living in the shadows, executing traitors with bloodstained hands.
Now I understand why Master took her place instead.
Bihar sipped her tea, lost in thought.
Lysinas said, "Bihar, the work you do is undoubtedly for the world. I hope you can recognize that for yourself."
"Lady Lysinas, do you think the work I do is something to be proud of?"
"Of course." Lysinas smiled brightly. "Someone willing to stain themselves in darkness for the sake of the world… I believe that's noble."
The unwavering response took Bihar by surprise.
She had spent just as much time with Lysinas as she had with Kyle, but always, she felt almost as if Lysinas was trying to heal the darkness within her.
Even in the midst of her busy life, Lysinas always took care of Bihar.
Time passed, and soon, the Great Heroes were finishing their preparations for their last expedition.
One morning, Kyle visited Lysinas' home and said, "I probably won't make it back. So…"
Bihar's eyes widened.
Lysinas scowled. "What nonsense is that?"
"I just need to be prepared for the possibility."
"We're all coming back alive." Lysinas scoffed.
However, Kyle didn't respond.
Lysinas placed the food she had prepared onto the table.
"Since when did you cook, Lysinas?" Kyle asked.
"Sometimes."
"Must've been tough for you then." Kyle sneered in genuine amusement.
Lysinas' hands trembled in anger.
Bihar laughed at the sight. "I asked her to make it. It reminds me of something."
"You ask her to cook when you feel like punishing yourself? I don't think you'd ever do anything bad enough to deserve that."
"Die!" Lysinas swung the knife in her hand.
Of course, Kyle dodged without so much as blinking.
Usually, Bihar handled the cooking, but on rare occasions, when she looked especially exhausted—Lysinas would do her best to make something for her.
It wasn't exactly delicious, but it was strangely… energizing.
Watching Kyle and Lysinas bicker, Bihar burst into laughter. "This… really feels like a family."
Lysinas froze for a moment before smiling softly. It was the first time Bihar had ever said something like that.
Then, in the final expedition, the Great Heroes saved the world and never returned.
After the world was saved, Bihar lived through chaotic days.
The first thing she did was rip out the records of Kyle's actions as a Shadow from the Hero Record.
Although she was proud of her master, who had dirtied his hands executing traitors, she also knew the painful truth.
The world would never see that side of him in a wholly positive light.
Kyle wouldn't have cared, but Bihar hated the thought of it, so she tore out those records and kept them separately.
From then on, she lived in the shadows.
As she had predicted, Velkia took Lysinas' place.
The brighter Velkia shone as a light leading the world, the longer and darker the shadows became.
No matter. Bihar lived within those shadows.
Not once had she ever felt ashamed of her work, but she never revealed herself.
The more she remained hidden, however, the more exhausted she became.
Finally, one day, Bihar saw children trapped in the same circumstances she had once been in.
Just like Kyle and Lysinas had done for her, she reached out her hand to them.
That was the light she found in the darkness.
She took in many orphans, and they brought something into her life she never thought she could have—normalcy.
She found someone to love, had children of her own and after so many long years, she found peace.
Then, one day, she heard of what happened to Velkia.
Seeing Bihar return covered in blood, her son turned deathly pale. "Mother!"
Bihar looked at him. "Xian."
"Mother, we need to get you healed…"
"Don't resent her."
"…!" Xian trembled.
"Even if this didn't happen, I was dying of illness anyway. I didn't have much time left. So don't resent her."
"Mother…" Xian knew that his mother had spent her entire life supporting Velkia from the shadows.
"To me, she's like a sister, born of the same father. Lady Lysinas told me… that us Shadows are the noblest of all. So even if others don't acknowledge you, it doesn't matter. If you choose this path, I hope you understand that being unseen isn't a misfortune." Bihar smiled. "You say you aren't, but… I hope you live like my master, who always devoted himself to the world."
"Yes… Mother."
"Good. My son, take care of your younger siblings."
"Yes…"
Bihar looked at her son, who gritted his teeth and accepted her death with dignity, and smiled radiantly.
Like Lysinas, the one who had once been her light, she had lived a life with no regrets.
The only thing that she regretted was failing to stop Velkia.
[It never occurred to me that my final words would weigh on you for thousands of years.]
Chen Xia, who had seen the past, remained silent.
It had been a long, long story, but in reality, it had only been a fleeting moment.
In that time, Chen Xia had glimpsed Bihar's past through her lingering spirit.
Bihar had awakened in the present out of concern for Velkia, but just as Chen Xia had seen Bihar's past, Bihar, too, had seen Chen Xia's past and she had learned how her descendants had lived.
That her final words had become chains, binding them for millennia.
That countless Shadows had condemned themselves because of her.
[Do you resent me too?]
"Yes, I resented you a lot."
Since childhood, Chen Xia had dreamed of becoming a hero, but her duty as a Shadow had always bound her.
She had resented her ancestor, who had condemned her bloodline to live in darkness for their entire lives, but…
"Lady Bihar, are you ashamed of us?"
[No. I'm very proud.]
Even through their suffering, Bihar's descendants had never abandoned their duty.
How could she not be proud of those who had upheld her will for so long?
Chen Xia smiled softly. Even if it was unintentional, Bihar had undoubtedly trapped her own descendants in the shadows.
Countless people had suffered because of it, but one thing was certain.
I resented Lady Bihar, but I was just as proud of her.
No one acknowledged them, and many pointed fingers at the Xian Empire.
Because they could not place their names in the Hero Record, they were discriminated against despite their dedication to the world.
Yet, the Xian Empire silently pursued its own path for thousands of years, because Bihar, who had devoted her entire life to the world, had been their pride.
"I'm sure our ancestors felt the same as me. Even if they resented you, Lady Bihar, they never strayed from their path and lived in darkness for thousands of years," Chen Xia said.
Bihar was speechless.
"So, Lady Bihar, you more than deserve to be called our ancestor."
[Thank you… for saying that.]
All she could do was express her gratitude, her voice trembling at Chen Xia's comforting words.
"It's strange. I have no talent as a spirit summoner, yet I can talk to you like this."
[It was Master's necromancy that woke me, but it was your spiritual energy that completed the contract.]
The contract Leo had formed through Bihar's dagger had replied to Chen Xia's spiritual energy.
Hearing Bihar's explanation, Chen Xia looked toward Leo. "Then… it should be possible for you to possess my body, right? I need strength."
[Yes. In fact, I wanted to ask for this myself.]
"Bihar, you…"
"We'll talk later." Bihar gave a faint smile. "I'll stop Velkia from here on."
She adjusted her grip on her dagger. "Master, please take care of that elf."
"Alright." Nodding, Leo walked toward Ullein.
Leaving him behind, Bihar stepped in front of Velkia, who was clutching her head. "Velkia."
"Agh…" Velkia clutched her head, shaking it wildly.
Bihar said, "I don't resent you, but if you collapse like this…"
"AAAAAAAH!"
"I'll never forgive you."
Flash…! BOOM…!
Velkia swung her sword, engulfing Bihar in its path, but almost immediately, her gaze snapped backward.
Even at an invisible speed, her instincts instantly tracked Bihar.
Step—
For a brief moment, confusion flickered in Velkia's eyes. Somehow, Bihar had become two.
Step— Step—
Two became four, four became eight and soon, countless Bihars stood before Velkia.
"We were like sisters. And we fought all the time. Do you remember why?"
There was one thing neither of them had ever been willing to concede.
Bihar gaze sharpened as she said calmly, "5000 years ago, we never settled it because I passed away first from my illness… so let's settle it now."