Chapter 475

Book 1 Chapter 475

“I need to organize the facts.”

Deep in contemplation, Leo pondered the events after departing from the resting place of the fallen.

“To begin with, the Justice Guild poses a significant hazard to this land, and their objective is to locate the Tomb of the Knight of the Underworld.”

Based on the information provided by Crown Prince Jeremy, there was no doubt that this organization was behind the desecration of the historic resting places of ancient champions.

“Furthermore, the Grand Duke of Dirge is secretly training young orphans to become combatants within these borders.”

This was the truly troubling part.

“Could the plundering of these sacred burial grounds and the actions of the Grand Duke of Dirge be completely disconnected?”

In truth, the reigning Necromancer King shouldn’t possess the capability to resurrect individuals who commanded monumental strength during their lifetimes.

Though the might of Erebos was legendary in the past, it should be severely diminished in the present era.

“Yet, I cannot entirely dismiss that outcome, considering the remnant of Erebos that might currently be in the hands of the Necromancer King.”

Prior to the summer break, the ruler of the dead had pursued Lumen to validate his own reality, utilizing a minute ember of Erebos’s essence.

“Even if fully restoring such a shard is out of the question, he might still harness its energy to temporarily reclaim the zenith of his former strength.”

Should that be true, raising legendary figures as mindless thralls would suddenly be within his grasp.

If this hypothesis proved accurate, it represented the absolute worst-case scenario.

“Regardless, gathering intelligence is my priority.”

Leo soon made his way into a nearby woodland.

Taking a seat upon the stump of a chopped down tree, he retrieved a miniature glass vial from his garments.

He tipped the container, letting an azure fluid spill onto the earth.

The substance writhed upon the dirt for a moment before solidifying with a sharp, icy snap, transforming its surface into a reflective sheen.

The visage that manifested within the glass belonged to an elf.

“Have you summoned me, exalted God of Shadows?”

The individual extending this respectful greeting to Leo was none other than Al Gren, the North Tower Master.

Long before attaining his title as the North Tower Master, he held the mantle of the Shadow Lord among the elven race.

Fixing his gaze on the reflection, Leo spoke.

“I require your assistance.”

“Understood. I shall make the necessary arrangements and dispatch operatives right away.”

“Pardon?”

Before he could elaborate, the link with Al Gren abruptly severed.

Standard transmission spells inevitably leave behind a magical resonance.

Any sorcerer trained in tracking such frequencies can intercept and listen in on conversations through those remnants.

However, this unique art devised by Al Gren completely erased any arcane footprint.

It served as an ideal tool for operatives whose survival depended on remaining completely undetected.

Its only major flaw was the brevity of the transmission window.

“I merely intended to pass along a basic directive. Yet he cut me off to send reinforcements without even inquiring about the circumstances,” Leo muttered, his features twisting in bewilderment.

“Is he already fully aware of the crisis unfolding in this northeastern territory?”

The primary sanctuary for the elven network was situated in the far northern reaches of the mainland, whereas they were currently in the northeastern sector.

Given his prominent position within the underground intelligence network, Al Gren undoubtedly kept a close watch on these developments.

“Ah well, since he promised reinforcements, I suppose they will reach out once they arrive.”

True to his word, precisely sixty minutes went by.

Not only had Al Gren finalized the logistics, but his clandestine agents had already reached the destination.

The efficiency was staggering.

Leo looked down at the elven figure bowing low on one knee in front of him.

“It has been some time.”

“You actually recollect who I am?”

“It would be far more shocking if I forgot, Anyas Beggs.”

“The supreme God of Shadows recognizes an insignificant servant like myself, and has spoken my actual name!”

Lifting her gaze, Anyas pressed both palms over her mouth, her face awash with profound reverence and emotion.

“Oh, Divine One! My magnificent, illustrious Lord! A deity who keeps the name of someone so trivial in his thoughts! My chest is thumping so violently, I fear my life might end right here! Gasp! Gasp!“

‘I always suspected she was slightly unhinged, but her obsession appears to have intensified,’ Leo thought to himself.

“How can those crimson, gem-like eyes radiate such a divine and flawless brilliance? Just the sight of your snowy hair is enough to banish the deepest shadows. Heave… heave…“

Attempting to steady her respiration, Anyas pleaded in a shaking tone.

“Almighty Lord, would you acquiesce to a minor request?”

“Depends on what it is.”

“Kindly grant me a solitary strand of your hair, plucked by your very fingers.”

“And why would you need that?”

“I intend to enshrine it as a sacred artifact for the faith I have newly established.”

“Come again?”

“Behold! For the moment, I am the sole devotee, but I have already designed this literature!”

The leaflet that Anyas proudly presented displayed the slogan: [Accept Leoism and attain salvation.]

Flipping the paper over revealed that the reverse side was entirely plastered with images of Leo’s visage.

“This is absolute lunacy…”

The sheer fanaticism radiating from her was palpable.

If she wasn’t reined in immediately, she would likely publicize this “Leoism” movement and start aggressively proselytizing to the public.

Observing Leo’s utterly speechless state, Anyas continued eagerly.

“Furthermore, I have successfully cataloged a directory of blasphemers who have spoken ill of our Deity of late. A merciless, crimson vengeance shall be visited upon them shortly…”

Her long elven ears twitched with excitement as she spoke with intense passion, tightening her fists.

“Anyas Beggs.”

“At your command!”

“Cease creating such absurdities.”

“Pardon?”

“The very organization I am currently opposing, the Justice Guild, operates exactly like a dangerous cult. I certainly have no desire to mirror their behavior, do I?”

“B-but the crucial difference is that our faith possesses an authentic, living God, unlike those heretics!”

Leo countered in a flat, deadpan voice.

“In what world am I a deity? I am a mortal human being. Let me make this perfectly clear: stop this nonsense at once.”

“If that is your explicit decree, Lord Leo, then I must obey.”

The elf’s perky ears instantly deflated.

Beholding her utterly devastated expression, as though her entire purpose for existing had been stripped away, Leo momentarily contemplated offering a word of consolation.

“Even so, Lord Leo… could I perhaps obtain just a single hair?”

“For what purpose?”

“Simply to preserve in my personal archive.”

‘I shouldn’t have wasted my sympathy,’ Leo realized.

Concluding that his anxiety on her behalf was entirely wasted, he resolved to pay no further attention to her eccentricities.

“Anyas, what do you know regarding the youth militia units organized by Duke Dotarn?”

“Of course. You are referring to his practice of rounding up parentless children, drilling them in combat arts, and forming a personal army, correct? My latest reports indicate that Crown Prince Jeremy has recently reassigned Duke Dotarn’s young combatants directly to his personal jurisdiction.”

True to her nature as a covert agent, her grasp of current events in the continent’s northeastern territory was absolute.

“Are you also aware, then, that this specific group of young soldiers shares a connection with Tartarus?”

Upon hearing that name, the casual demeanor vanished from Anyas’s face, replaced by sudden intensity.

“Is Duke Dotarn acting as an operative for Tartarus?” she demanded, her tone turning dangerously cold.

Leo shook his head as he answered her question.

“Far from it. The man himself is almost certainly oblivious to the fact that he is being manipulated as a pawn.”

Her initial lack of concern proved that she had previously underestimated the significance of these young recruits.

Yet, the latent combat potential within those ranks was extraordinary.

It far exceeded the typical defense forces maintained by a minor principality.

“Should their numbers expand and they transition from a mere militia into a formal, disciplined order of knights, it could shift the balance of power across the entire northeastern realm.”

The reality that an information network as vast as hers had overlooked a fighting force of this caliber demonstrated how flawlessly their operations had been cloaked from public view.

“Given the involvement of Atkan, such perfect concealment is entirely plausible.”

“Deploy your intelligence network and conduct an exhaustive investigation into Duke Dotarn.”

“If we uncover definitive proof of Tartarus’s interference, shall we initiate an elimination protocol?”

“Absolutely not. Simply relay the data to me. Striking blindly without a proper assessment will only result in severe casualties for our forces.”

“Does Lord Leo already possess knowledge regarding which fiend is pulling strings within this domain?”

“All signs point to Atkan, the Grand Duke of Dirge.”

Hearing the name of an individual holding such a formidable rank caused the elven operative’s shoulders to stiffen momentarily.

“Proceed with absolute caution. He will undoubtedly be keeping a watchful eye out for any interference.”

“As you command.”

Being a trusted inner circle member of the Necromancer King, Atkan would certainly be cognizant of the truth—that Leo was the reborn vessel of Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings.

“The moment I encountered the young soldiers stationed here, he likely anticipated that I would deduce his presence.”

Yet, despite this risk, Atkan had chosen to remain within the borders.

“He is most likely keeping his distance to carefully assess the current level of my power.”

“Lord Leo, how do you wish to handle the situation regarding the Justice Guild?” Anyas inquired.

“I highly doubt your intelligence network has overlooked them. What has been the collective analysis regarding the Justice Guild up to this point?”

“The consensus within our ranks remains split,” Anyas stated, her gaze sharpening.

“They have earned quite a notorious profile for orchestrating and inflaming military friction in disputed territories, spanning well beyond the northeast to a global scale.”

“And your operatives refrained from neutralizing them simply because they haven’t explicitly turned traitor or declared enmity against us?”

“That is correct,” Anyas admitted, momentarily looking away from his direct stare.

“Our network exclusively intervenes when the hand of Tartarus is detected. Furthermore, the few external individuals who recognize their deceptive ways have likewise chosen to turn a blind eye to their activities.”

The methodology through which the Justice Guild expanded its influence was straightforward.

They would insert themselves into volatile, war-torn regions and deliberately pour fuel on the fires of combat.

Once the devastation peaked, they would step forward to settle the dispute, earning the adulation of the traumatized populace who viewed them as true paragons of righteousness.

Through this manipulative cycle, their authority grew exponentially.

The primary motivation for those who recognized their duplicity to tolerate them was simple: the organization’s weapons were never aimed in their direction.

“Paradoxically, the Justice Guild stands at the forefront of the active military campaigns against Tartarus.”

Because their offensive might was never turned against the ruling factions, they served a purpose.

They functioned as a defensive bulwark against the demonic forces, occasionally executing less savory tasks when the situation required it.

This web of shared strategic benefits was the sole reason the Justice Guild had endured for so long.

Even the factions that despised their methods found it impractical to wage open war against them.

In the current era, the world lacked a unified authority capable of aligning the fractured agendas of various nations.

“When conflicting agendas tangle so deeply, any confrontation threatens to spark a massive internal conflict. That chaos is precisely what Tartarus hopes to engineer. However…”

Having unmasked their deceptive facade, Leo had absolutely no desire to overlook their misdeeds any longer.

“Do you intend to dismantle the Justice Guild?”

“I do.”

“Shall I mobilize our entire network for the assault?”

“No,” Leo responded, gesturing in negation.

“Should our hidden operatives take action, the public’s existing distrust toward our kind will only deepen.”

Irrespective of their hidden crimes, the Justice Guild maintained a flawless public image as champions of righteousness.

Striking down such figures would inevitably birth severe public backlash and misconceptions.

Shortly before the summer recess, thanks to the decree issued by Melina, those who walked in the dark had finally been elevated to a rank equivalent to celebrated champions.

Yet, despite receiving the endorsement of the Dragon Lord, societal prejudices could not be rewritten overnight.

“Moving forward, the outcome hinges entirely on your actions.”

“Hinges on us?”

“Precisely. It is my desire for the designation of ‘shadow’ to cease existing completely.”

“Pardon me?”

“Every single individual who has bled for the survival of this world deserves the title of a champion. Your people have earned that honor tenfold. Therefore, I intend to forge a new era where you are recognized as true heroes, rather than being relegated to the dark.”

“Lord Leo…”

Anyas pressed a hand over her lips, her eyes filling with profound reverence.

“To think that you envisioned such a profound future… that you have been orchestrating such a magnificent destiny…”

Overwhelmed with emotion, she brought her palms together, bowing her head in a gesture of pure devotion directed toward him.

“I beg of you, permit me to revere you as my true divinity.”

“Denied. Do not bring that up again.”

Right at that moment, Leo’s brow furrowed tightly.

Swoosh—!

A figure emerged seamlessly from the shadow cast by a nearby tree.

The playful demeanor instantly vanished from Anyas’s features, replaced by icy focus.

“What is the status?”

“An urgent update,” the newly arrived agent announced, dipping his head hastily.

“A conflict of immense scale has just erupted along the frontier separating the Canel Kingdom and the Fetimen Kingdom.”

“Has the military force of the Fetimen Kingdom initiated a full-scale offensive?” Leo inquired, rising quickly to his feet.

The scout shook his head rapidly in denial.

“Negative. A single individual launched a solitary assault against the entire Fetimen Kingdom division, and the forces of the Justice Guild have moved in to intercept them.”

“For an entire organization of that caliber to deploy, their adversary must possess extraordinary strength. Identify the target,” Anyas commanded.

The operative faltered momentarily before delivering the answer.

“The lone combatant currently clashing with the Justice Guild is identified as the Iron-Blooded Mage.”

Anyas’s posture locked completely.

“The Iron-Blooded Mage…? Tiaar?”

The shock resonated through Leo as well, his expression mirroring her gravity.

He instantly recognized that title from historical records.

The legendary elven champion, Tiaar, renowned as the Iron-Blooded Mage.

A monumental figure who had secured legendary triumphs throughout the historic campaigns against Tartarus.

Nevertheless, she was simultaneously a controversial figure, cast out by her own elven kin due to her development of exceptionally ruthless spells derived from star magic.

Furthermore, the era in which this legendary figure fought was ancient history.

“An ancient champion from a millennium past.”

At that moment, Leo understood that the terrifying hypothesis he had dreaded had manifested into reality.

“The Necromancer King is actively pulling these legendary figures back from the grave to serve as his undead thralls.”