Chapter 179

“Why did you not summon me to the council, Your Majesty?”

Prince Crystal, son of Queen Crystal and brother of the wise elf, spoke.

“Your Highness!”

Amidst the bewilderment, several Snow Elf councilors gasped, while the Dark Elves remained silent.

“How could you choose such a foolish course of action—allowing a mere human to enter our sacred council?”

“……”

Prince Crystal opened his mouth menacingly. Meanwhile, the Frost Watchers behind him radiated an indescribable sense of intimidation.

“You are no exception, child, for entering the council without permission.”

“It is not for you, Old Woman of the Mountain, who cannot even properly execute a single traitor of your own kind, to meddle in this matter. This affair belongs solely to ‘our kingdom’.”

Prince Sujeong spoke without hesitation. At his words, several dark elves froze, while the Old Woman of the Mountain merely smiled serenely.

“No, it’s not that you can’t execute him. It’s that you won’t.”

“Indeed, that is precisely it. Our fairy council has resolved to place the exile Sepia under the protection of the ‘Black Prince,’ following the Blue Magic Tower.”

The mountain crone declared.

“I cannot accept it.”

“……This isn’t something you can accept or reject.”

“Mother!”

At that very moment, the silent Crystal Queen spoke. Prince Crystal raised his voice, as if unable to comprehend.

“Is there any guarantee that the legacy of the old empire within that traitor’s heart won’t fall into the hands of the imperialist elves?!”

“There is.”

Dale answered.

“But if you’re so concerned about Sepia’s grimoire falling into the hands of the Imperialist Elves in the first place, wouldn’t it be better to simply return Sepia to her homeland?”

As if to say, “Don’t kick me out right away,” he shrugged his shoulders.

“What does a mere human know of our kingdom to speak thus?”

Prince Sujeong spoke, unleashing a chill that felt like it could freeze him solid.

“Her actions were a disgrace to our kin and an act of treason that endangered the rule of the Cristalia House.”

“And yet, Prince, do you not feel gratitude that you are still breathing thanks to that very treason?”

Dale retorted with mocking scorn, and at that very moment.

Swoosh.

Prince Sujeong drew the rapier from his waist, switched to a reverse grip, and thrust the hilt downward. Not at an enemy, but toward his own heart.

Thud!

The rapier’s tip pierced Prince Sujeong’s chest and emerged through his back. Yet no blood flowed.

“Did you say I should be grateful for this hideous curse that shatters providence by its very existence?”

Only upon hearing those words did he finally understand. For the elves, defying providence was an unforgivable sin and a disgrace in and of itself.

Moreover, for those who valued honor above death, it must have been like an indelible scarlet letter for life.

“Ah, how convenient.”

That’s why Dale sneered coldly.

“His Highness desires death so desperately, and I happen to know a price for ‘death’ that no one else can match.”

“……!”

Recalling his father, the Lord of Darkness and Death, Dale spoke. Prince Sujeong, grasping the meaning, swallowed hard.

“Why are you so unsettled?”

Dale tilted his head as if puzzled.

“With a single gesture, my father could grant the prince the ‘honorable death’ he so desperately craves.”

The ‘Black Prince’ continued, unable to hide his sneer.

“Truth be told, you don’t really want to die, do you?”

He desperately voiced the truth hidden beyond the shadows he concealed. It wasn’t information obtained through the eyes of truth.

After all, reading another’s mind doesn’t necessarily require the power of transformation.

“Your survival, Prince, was never your own will. That’s why you’re putting on this show, desperately trying to prove it, isn’t it?”

“How dare you…!”

At the same moment, Prince Sujeong pulled the rapier from his chest. After pulling it out, he spun the hilt and thrust it into the ground. But then—

Swoosh!

“Enough, youngster.”

An invisible sword wind swept through. As if drawing a boundary between Dale and Prince Sujeong. Yet, before the swirling vortex of blades, the ‘Black Prince’ remained utterly still, maintaining his composure.

Prince Sujeong was not.

He halted his lunge and swiftly backed away.

“Your Highness, who can’t die even if you want to, is truly quite the coward.”

“You…!”

Dale sneered coldly at the sight. Just as Prince Sujeong was about to raise his voice again in response to that mockery,

“I told you to stop there.”

Behind him, the Mountain Crone appeared without so much as a sound. As if to say the indulgence of a child’s tantrum ended here, her voice held not a shred of emotion.

Her sword was pressed against Prince Sujeong’s nape.

“If you do not, I shall personally grant you the ‘death’ you so desperately crave.”

“…Looks like I didn’t even need to go find Father after all.”

Just then, a strand of Dale’s hair was cut clean off as he spat out his taunt.

“Would you kindly shut your trap too?”

“I’d be delighted to shut it.”

Dale bowed politely and smiled. In the silence, the mountain crone continued.

“Crystal brat, as you say, what happens in the Crystal Kingdom is none of my concern.”

The blade she held was imbued with the same blood-red aura that had once belonged to Master Baro.

“But remember, this is not the Kingdom of Crystal, nor is ‘my kingdom’ seated here with us.”

“……Ah, I understand.”

The ruler of the desert and sand spoke. The Crystal Prince’s face paled, and he nodded weakly.

Simultaneously, the mountain crone who had been holding a blade to his throat was now seated in the throne prepared for her.

It wasn’t even at the level one could call divine speed. He understood. It matched the secret technique possessed by Master Baro.

No, rather, she herself must be the original source of that power.

“Then let’s get back to the agenda.”

Amidst this, Dale continued speaking without hesitation.

“Regarding Lady Sepia’s safety, instead of the Blue Magic Tower, Saxony and the Black Magic Tower will gladly vouch for her. Old Woman of the Mountain, would you not consider this fact and withdraw your sword aimed at her?”

Dale spoke, and the Mountain Crone laughed as if pleased.

“So be it. Queen of Crystal, do you agree?”

She asked the nearby Cold and Crystal Sovereign, who silently nodded.

“Very well. By this, one agenda has been passed according to our race’s noble tradition.”

The old woman on the mountain spoke loudly. It was an irrevocable promise, and Dale smiled quietly.

With this, one threat targeting Sepia was eliminated. Yet the dangers facing Sepia were far from over.

The legacy of the Elf Empire, nestled within Sepia’s heart.

He understood the truth she held, and at the same time, even as Dale, he had no objection to that threat. Sepia’s enemy had been Dale’s enemy from the start, and coldly speaking, it was like getting his hands on bait to lure Dale’s enemy.

The Crimson Mage Tower and the Heirs of Blood.

The Crimson Prince, Marquis Yuris, and his kin.

From this day forward, protecting Sepia from them shall be the role of the ‘Black Prince’.

“But the next agenda item hasn’t been concluded yet.”

At that very moment, the mountain crone spoke again. Alongside Sepia’s disposition, another agenda the Fairy Council must resolve.

“According to the ancient pact, we claim to be the Standard-Bearers of the Shadows, and this human child before us claims to be the ‘Shadow Lord’ himself.”

The mountain crone continued in a solemn voice.

“And our fairy council will determine whether this human child truly possesses the qualifications to be the Shadow Lord worthy of our allegiance.”

The air among the elves, who had been maintaining a submissive silence regarding Sepia’s treatment, shifted abruptly. An atmosphere of hostility and distrust, incomparably heavier than anything felt before, now permeated the air.

It couldn’t be helped. From the start, it was impossible to simply win the loyalty of their kingdom.

“Ha! You call him the Shadow Lord!”

At those words, Prince Crystal, who had been silent until now, finally burst into a sneer. As if he found it too laughable to contain.

“Do you really think that youngster understands the meaning of those words?”

The old woman on the mountain shrugged her shoulders at the sneer.

“I believe he understands it quite well.”

She said, and the weight of her words was anything but light.

The ruler of one of the two elven kingdoms had affirmed Dale’s qualifications with her own words.

And the old woman of the mountain was certainly no queen ruling her kingdom by scribbling on office documents.

“Your Majesty, I cannot agree.”

Nevertheless, understanding the weight of that act, one Dark Elf councilor spoke up.

“Even if he truly possesses the qualifications of a ruler, he has proven nothing before loyalty.”

“Ah, your words are also correct.”

The old woman on the mountain smiled as if pleased and nodded.

“This human child before us has yet to prove anything to us.”

At those words, a significant number of elves expressed their agreement.

It was at that very moment.

Blue butterflies took flight.

“……!”

Dale, grasping its meaning, gasped, and the elves were no exception.

Only two remained composed: the two queens who ruled the land of the Sun and Crystal.

“You’ve finally come.”

─ Ah, please forgive my tardiness, Old Woman of the Mountain.

A voice that sounded almost cheerful reached them. Hearing it, they understood instinctively. The one who rules the Tower of Intrigue and Deception, the blue-clad mastermind.

─ As one who claims the banner of the shadow, bound by the ancient pact, I dared to speak only to convey my message.

“Speak.”

At those words, the Crystal Queen finally broke her silence and spoke.

‘Wasn’t the Crystal Queen the Blue Mage Tower Master?’

Listening to their conversation, Dale coldly assessed the situation. One candidate, who had held a sliver of possibility, was removed from the list.

─ The Shadow Lord has already proven himself to the Empire and our Blue Magic Tower in many ways. And to demand achievements within the kingdom from a ruler who has only just set foot in your realm—would that not be an exceedingly harsh demand?

“What is it you wish to say?”

The Crystal Queen asked in return. The blue butterfly fluttered its wings and continued.

─ The Frost of the End.

“……!”

At those words, gasps of shock echoed throughout the hall. Yet the blue-robed figure paid them no mind and continued speaking.

─ In that place, where the indelible scars of the ancient Elven Empire are etched, our sovereign will gladly prove it.

The ruins of the ancient Elven Empire, where the Frostwatchers stake their lives to fulfill their mission.

“Very well.”

At those words, Dale nodded without hesitation.

“I always welcome trials that can prove me.”

The Shadow Lord spoke. His answer held not a shred of hesitation.