219 – Shadow (4)
#7
If a knight of this size was standing far in the middle of the street, the attention of the people around him would of course be drawn.
“Chi, the captain of the guards… ?”
Ruvia’s body hardened.
Innumerable people cast a glance in this direction. It seemed that the head of the imperial guard had been interested in him even before he appeared in front of us, but he wasn’t a person to approach and talk to easily.
Because if the heavy eyes in that helmet were to look down at him, it was certain that his hair would turn white.
So, around the time when the crowd in the form of a distorted circle around us started to murmur.
The captain of the Imperial Guard, Gileon, rattled his helmet.
“Let’s move the location first…. You stay here.”
With all of the other SS knights following from somewhere being bitten, Gileon led us towards a dark alley.
#8
A deserted alley.
“I’m sorry about the festival.”
“Oh, no. But what happened….”
Is it because you actually saw the person you only heard about?
Rubia seemed very nervous, Myu put her hand on her scabbard, Yuri tried to pretend to be calm, and Stella lowered the corner of her mouth from her smile.
“First of all.”
Gileon held onto my helmet with his thick hands. And he slowly took off his helmet.
Shorted blonde hair and blue eyes. It was an impressive face with scars drawn diagonally.
“Let me explain the circumstances.”
Gilleon looked around us all the way.
“About two hours ago, a Commune Class student performing in the intersection area near the Commune Class station suffered an unexplained seizure and was rushed to the temple.”
I know.
Because we were there.
“Isn’t that the infirmary?”
“Yes.”
Gilleon replied affirmatively to my question.
However, as if to prevent further questioning, Gileon continued the story without further explanation.
“Our mission is to defend the frontier by order of His Majesty the Emperor. So at least during the mission, there shouldn’t be any noise in Frontier. I can’t help but pay attention to even a small incident. It is also natural that if there is a suspicious case, it should be clearly investigated.”
“So you suspect us.”
At that time, Stella took a step next to me.
“…… Well, you. No.”
Gil Leon nodded his head.
“Lady Feltline.”
“I never expected to see you in a place like this. Sir Gileon.”
Stella bowed softly as she placed her hand on her chest.
‘Do you two know each other? Stella’s personal connections are…….’
Inwardly, whether I have such a question or not.
After that, a short conversation came and went.
“Is the duke all right?”
“… Don’t you have more important things to do now?”
“Hmm. Right.”
The topic transition went smoothly.
“I don’t intend to drag on for a long time, so I’ll keep it simple.”
Gileon looked back at us again.
“After investigation, it is estimated that someone intentionally touched the victim. Therefore, we have an obligation to interrogate those who were present at the scene. Whether it’s a simple eyewitness or an instigator. It could be related to the accident in some way.”
At the last minute.
Somehow, it seemed like they made eye contact with me.
“I don’t doubt you guys, but I hope you will cooperate. Was there anything odd about the accident? What were you guys doing then And… ….”
Gilleon, suddenly.
She raised her palm to the sky.
Saaa─
The gauntlet glowed white. It was a warm light. Brilliant white masses of pale gold floated above the gauntlets. The light was so dazzling that it completely erased the surrounding shadows. It was very similar to the light that leaked from my fist somewhere.
Looking at that, Rubia muttered in a small voice.
“Sacred Art… ….”
The most powerful force to fight demons.
Gileon was a paladin who used sacred arts.
“Do you feel anything when you see this light?”
The paladin clenched his fists.
The light soon seeped into the gauntlet and faded.
“…… It won’t take long. From you first Can you take out what’s in your pockets and bags?”
The moment Gileon pointed at me, I was finally convinced.
‘…… I was hoping my expectations were wrong.’
The Imperial Guard suspects that the series of accidents that happened earlier were the work of the demons.
#9
After inspecting our belongings, Gileon only nodded once.
“Thank you for your cooperation. I hope you all enjoy the festival as usual. However, if you see anything suspicious, report it immediately.”
“I… Where can I report it?”
“The SS will be stationed all over the frontier. Just grab someone and explain the circumstances. If you can’t see it, report it to headquarters. However, it is good to come to us whenever possible.”
I couldn’t claim anything like invasion of privacy. It wasn’t even that atmosphere, and it was a part that could be suspicious.
After putting out all the food and items in the bag I bought this time, I was able to get it back only after being meticulously inspected with Gileon’s sacred art.
Of course, there were no problems at all.
In general, Mew and Yuri were like that.
Myu didn’t like other people’s interference. How many troubles have you caused because of your rebellious temperament since ancient times? He never allowed me to touch the sword, so I almost got into trouble. I’m glad I barely dried it.
After finally getting the consent, Gileon took a quick look at Mu’s sword and her overalls, and said, “A good sword has met a good master.” I left a word.
I recognized Mu’s qualities and praised them.
Imperial A man of ignorance capable of two swords.
On the other hand, Yuri also tended to avoid men extremely. She, like Gileon, boasts the extremes of masculinity, and as soon as the touch of a knight touches her body, she causes a match… She didn’t lose, and seemed to tremble and swallow her screams.
Not even a big deal. As a princess of a country, couldn’t she even hate the imperial family? Her effort was imaginary, so I gave her a pat on the back, and she was kicked. It hurt.
“And…… You.”
Suddenly, Gileon called me.
He looked at us for a moment. I saw the talents that the frontier cherishes, the princess of a country, and the daughter of a duke. Finally, he fixed his eyes on me. Gileon let out a voice of warning from within the helmet that was once again covered.
“I bet you don’t know that there are big names like this all around…… Just in case something happens, always keep in mind that responsibility can be passed on to you as well. Above all, to you—”
“That’s not going to happen.”
Mu took a step forward.
She continued with a very firm tone.
“Ezio always protected us.”
“…… Is it.”
Gilleon nodded as if he understood.
But….
“Yes. Whatever happens to us, it will never be his fault.”
When Stella, who had been silent, stepped forward and spoke, Gileon looked at me with his eyes shining, which is rare.
“…… There is no such thing as trust without reason. I get it.”
Even if he said that, he still looked at me, left a meaningful word, and then turned to the other side.
“Your strength…… I hope it will never be used.”
Kung, kung—
The captain of the Imperial Guard, Gileon, left the alley like that.
The time that once seemed like a silent storm has passed.
“… ….”
“… ….”
At that moment, I wondered if we would start soon.
Ruvia sneaked up next to me and whispered, hesitantly.
“I-I believe in you too, Ezio.”
“Come.”
Who wouldn’t believe it?
#10
One existence pondered for a long time.
I agonized over a very long time, planned it, overturned it again, and repeated it tens of thousands of times.
In the shadows.
Under a curtain of shade where no light shines in, in a black and pitch-black curtain that disappears without a trace when light hits it. Beings were always looking for opportunities.
Without anyone noticing, just like that. Because the shadow existed beside any being. There will be no one who wonders about the existence of shadows.
But the shadow was definitely alive. He lived under the being and accompanied the being’s life from beginning to end.
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Joy and anger, sorrow and joy. And desire. A shadow could never exist alone because it was a shadow. I had no choice but to learn by watching others. When beings feel joy. When you feel sad The shadows were happy together and sad together.
That was all.
A shadow has always been just a shadow.
Shadows could not exist forever. He felt human emotions and desires as they flow and used them as the reason for his existence. But could not exist. Why? The shadow experienced countless joys and sorrows in countless shadows, but in the end, it was not the shadow’s but someone else’s.
A life too pitiful to even call it life.
The shadow just wanted to live.
…… The moment when the shadow finally became a being was when it existed as a shadow as always.
There was a person who had a lifelong wish but could not achieve it. At the final threshold, there was a person who was bent and collapsed.
In the shadow of the human lying down and weeping, the shadow felt a lot of emotions.
Mourning. Despair. Sadness.
And hope.
Hope for a miracle to happen.
The desire to stand up again.
The shadow ate them all.
Predation.
And I felt it.
I realized at the same time.
It was the shadow that felt this sadness and despair. The shadow feeds on human emotions and desires. Then why are you trying to devour your desire?
That’s because a shadow is a shadow. This is because it is a being that feeds on the excrement of the soul.
When you feel fleeting hope and despair, the shadow no longer has to exist as a shadow.
For that fleeting moment, the shadow lived. The reason the shadow lives is to swallow up desire.
Hwanhee 歡喜.
Yes!
When you eat away your emotions and desires, you are finally alive!
By consuming desire, one feels alive. It soon became the reason for its existence, and that is how the shadow came to exist.
Then the shadow didn’t have to be a shadow anymore. There was no need to live in the human side. The shadow lingered out of the shadow and emerged.
Finally standing on my feet, I thought to myself.
I want to return the same joy I felt. He said he wanted to repay the people who made him into existence.
As the shadow felt, the more the size of emotions and desires doubled, the more beneficial it was. Extreme despair and extreme joy were no different for the shadow. The joy that the shadow feels when it devours emotions and desires of that size has also doubled.
Then let’s do something good for everyone.
First of all, the size of the hope that the paralyzed man had in despair was called to the limit.
In the hope of being able to swim, which humans have always dreamed of, Koogoonggeum crawled to the surface and threw itself to the surface, drowning without ever coming back up.
Humans sank deeply and felt a distant despair.
So, the shadow was delighted.
Human beings died feeling the greatest despair, in other words, the greatest joy!
The shadow did a lot of good deeds after that. For a very long time. From that distant page of the book of human history.
…… But why?
For so many years, humans were all afraid of the shadows that appeared before them.
Frightened, he pointed his finger, lit a fire, raised his weapon, and called the shadow thus.
Demons.
The shadow realized that it was angry with itself.
The enraged shadow felt a great sense of betrayal. It was a job for humans, but the good deeds of the shadows were not rewarded.
The shadow was betrayed by humans, and eventually had no choice but to flee to a place where there were no humans. …… Ah, before that, he killed all the humans who betrayed him with his own hands.
I harvested the despair of the people I killed myself, made it my own, and discovered that the dead people were absolutely incompatible with the shadows.
It was light.
A warm light.
The only light that you, as a shadow, can come into contact with.
The moment I ate that light.
The shadow felt the utmost joy.
Absolute happiness that even humans have never felt before!
After that.
The shadow hid into the world of beings called devils like itself, and was able to find out what the true identity of the light was.
Divinity.
A truly beautiful sound.
…… The shadow wanted to taste it a little more.