Chapter 53. Humanity’s Shadow
From the perspective of an ordinary Mage, openly releasing a formula one had developed independently could be considered a considerable loss.
After all, Mages made their names through the magic they created, carefully guarded its secrets, and eventually taught it to their disciples to increase the value of their own legacies.
But Shane had no intention of living as an ordinary Mage.
More importantly, the formula he had revealed was not particularly difficult.
Once Mages at the level of Magic Tower Elders began interacting directly with the Elves, they would likely devise something similar before long.
If the information was destined to become known eventually, then releasing it first and earning the acknowledgment of the Mages would provide far greater benefits to Shane’s reputation in the long run.
“Hoho. It seems good fortune has come to our Magic Tower as well.”
Kayden laughed heartily.
‘How enviable! This boy’s name will endure for a very long time.’
Mages were certainly known for their ascetic tendencies, but their desire for recognition was no less significant.
The formula Shane had revealed might have been only a fundamental one.
But conversely, precisely because it was fundamental, it stood closest to the root of the entire field.
Whenever magic involving Natural Essence developed in the future, Shane’s formula would serve as part of its foundation.
That meant Shane’s name would continue spreading throughout the magical community for years to come.
And he had accomplished this at only eighteen years of age.
‘What was I doing when I was that age?’
Of course, Kayden had hardly squandered his youth.
He had become an Elder of a Magic Tower, after all.
Still, compared with Shane, his own youth inevitably seemed somewhat dull.
While Kayden briefly sank into self-reflection, Shane spoke.
“By the way, Elder Kayden. What became of the matter I mentioned previously?”
“Ah, that? Once I heard that you had returned safely, I immediately began working on it. I doubt there will be much difficulty moving forward. As long as we have permission from the Elves, it should not be difficult to find Mages willing to extract Natural Essence from the Great Forest.”
Previously, while conducting research with Kayden, Shane had proposed several business ventures.
The most representative among them involved extracting Natural Essence from the Mezaia Great Forest with the cooperation of the Elves and selling it.
Shane intended to eventually produce healing-magic Scrolls using Natural Essence, and he judged that there would undoubtedly be a market for them.
The most important part was recruiting Mages capable of developing Magic Flasks that could safely contain Natural Essence.
For something like that—
Kayden, an Elder Mage with experience in various commercial ventures, was the perfect person.
“That is good news.”
“Still, if we want things to proceed more smoothly, I’ll need your assistance as well.”
“Would attending the banquet tonight be sufficient?”
“You understand immediately. Haha. Exactly.”
Kayden’s personal connections would certainly carry considerable influence.
But they also needed someone capable of persuading the Mages who would eventually be dispatched to the Mezaia Great Forest after it opened.
“I will remain here and assist for as long as my schedule allows.”
“Hmm. Please do. Do you have another engagement afterward?”
“Yes. The Grade Examination is approaching.”
“Ah, of course.”
The Grade Examination administered by the Allied Nations.
Because of it, the Fifth-Year Cadets at the Academy were undoubtedly busy preparing even now.
Since the examination took place only twice a year, Kayden understood.
“Then do you intend to attend the banquet starting tonight?”
“There is no reason to postpone the work.”
“Understood. I’ll finish preparing as well, then. Let us go together.”
“Yes.”
—
In Shane’s previous life, he had never enjoyed particularly good relations with banquets.
If anything—
He had accumulated far more unpleasant memories of them.
Because of that, Shane did not particularly enjoy such gatherings.
But if he regarded them as work, there was nothing he could not endure.
More importantly, unlike in his previous life—
The central figure of this banquet was none other than Shane himself.
Five days had already passed since the banquet began.
Since this was the final day, fewer Mages were attending than on the previous days.
Thanks to that, Shane, who had spent the past several days forming connections with Mages through Kayden’s introductions, finally had some spare time.
He stood alone on a terrace, drinking wine.
‘I’ve obtained most of what I needed.’
All the preparations necessary for the opening of the Mezaia Great Forest were complete.
Once the Elves officially appeared in public and began interacting with humanity in earnest, additional benefits would naturally roll toward Shane even without his direct involvement.
There was only one disappointment.
The person he had hoped to encounter during this banquet had yet to appear.
Despite deliberately spending occasional periods alone even amid his busy schedule, the person he had been waiting for had never approached.
Just as Shane was about to reorganize his plans in his mind—
“Good evening, sir.”
The voice he had been waiting for suddenly came from behind him.
—
On the surface, the Empire remained peaceful.
There were no major external forces openly opposing it, and the continuing economic prosperity had left its citizens living in comfort.
But Jepher di Arsha Olicia, the current First Imperial Princess, knew that the situation was far from ideal.
Eight years ago—
Her eldest brother, the Crown Prince who had been designated the next Emperor, had unexpectedly died in an accident.
His sudden death left the position of Crown Prince vacant, igniting a fierce political struggle over who would inherit it.
Moreover, the Emperor had yet to name a successor.
‘Father is indecisive, certainly, but the greater problem is that Brother is far too obvious.’
The Emperor still seemed uncertain……
But Olicia, who possessed an exceptional talent for reading a person’s true nature, was certain.
Her second elder brother—
Jepher di Wyatt Samuel—
Was like a cunning serpent.
A serpent carrying deadly venom while hiding motionless within the grass.
Yet Samuel normally blended into his surroundings with the same benevolent smile as their father, enough that even the Emperor himself remained uncertain of his true character.
Because of that, the nobles had already begun referring to Samuel as the Crown Prince……
But Olicia had no intention of simply standing by and watching.
Unfortunately, the circumstances were hardly favorable.
Her twin younger sister, Anastasia, had recklessly bared her fangs at Samuel and was now effectively driven into the northern regions.
There, amid bitter weather that lasted throughout the year, she was occupied defending against the Monster Waves that arrived annually.
She likely had little opportunity to pay attention to affairs elsewhere.
‘Still, it is far too early to give up.’
That was why Olicia had lowered her profile and begun gathering talented individuals who could become her strength in the future.
Until last year, she had primarily targeted nobles entering Imperial service.
Now, however, her perspective had changed.
Imperial authority was certainly important.
But the people who wielded true influence internationally were often nobles belonging to the Allied Nations.
Naturally, her attention had shifted toward the Academy of the Allied Nations, where the children of such nobles gathered.
Several talented individuals had caught her attention.
But one boy in particular had left a deep impression.
Long black hair fell slightly below his shoulders.
His dark Roseberry eyes revealed almost no fluctuation of emotion.
Under the moonlight, he gently swirled wine the same color as his eyes within a glittering glass as he looked toward her.
Clayton R. Shane.
A young genius who had played an enormous role in opening the first Cradle in a hundred years.
“Good evening, sir.”
At Olicia’s greeting, the boy slowly bowed his head.
“It is an honor to greet one more precious than this wine, perfected by a craftsman’s hand over decades.”
Despite the simplicity of his movement, his bearing carried unmistakable dignity and restraint.
“My. Do you recognize me?”
That was unexpected.
Olicia had worn a mask specifically to avoid attracting the attention of others.
Yet Shane had recognized her immediately.
“Are you not known as one of the Flowers of the Empire? I am not foolish enough to forget one of only two such women in the world.”
“My. Thank you for saying so. We met once before in an Academy corridor, didn’t we?”
“Yes.”
Olicia found Shane’s reaction more favorable than expected.
His expression remained so even that she could hardly read his emotions.
Still, he showed no sign of avoiding her.
And the longer Olicia looked at Shane, the stranger she found him.
Until now, she had always been able to read a person’s disposition without much difficulty after meeting them, even briefly.
But it had been the same last time—
And it was the same now.
She could not glimpse even the smallest fragment of Shane’s inner nature.
It was the first time Olicia had experienced something like this.
As she fell silent and studied him, Shane spoke first.
“May I ask why you sought me out?”
“I may be excessively praised as a Flower of the Empire, but there is no law saying a flower must always sit still and wait for the bee to come to it, is there? So I came myself.”
“Quite bold. Unfortunately, I do not believe I can give you the answer you want.”
Olicia sighed inwardly.
‘So Brother already claimed him after all?’
Her attempt to recruit talent while avoiding Samuel’s notice appeared to have failed.
Perhaps there was a reason Samuel had never directly made a move despite someone as talented as Shane being present.
“Unfortunately, I am engaged to Aneis of the Judgment Knight Order. And there is someone else I am searching for as well.”
“I…… see.”
That was something she had not known.
The Judgment Knight Order was an Imperial Knight Order that had recently begun supporting her brother’s movements.
Those who wielded the White Lion Aura were not supposed to possess political inclinations in the first place.
Yet after the death of their previous Commander, Lintberg K. Robert, seven years ago, the Order had begun moving in a completely opposite direction.
And Shane was engaged to the daughter of that former Commander?
Losing Shane was regrettable.
But Olicia had unexpectedly obtained valuable information.
Then again—
Would Shane really have given her information like that without reason?
Olicia’s instincts told her no.
“Is there something else you would like to tell me?”
“Yes. Publicly, I am someone bound to my family. My younger brother is not.”
“Ah…….”
“Secure enough military strength to protect yourself.”
“……That is good advice.”
Klein had naturally been one of the talented individuals Olicia was already considering.
In fact, before Shane properly made his name known, Klein had been the one she primarily watched.
“And you should look carefully beneath the shadows.”
“Beneath…… the shadows?”
“Yes. More valuable things lie upon the ground unnoticed than most people realize.”
“Hmm…….”
At first glance, it sounded like incomprehensible advice.
But Olicia had spent years quietly building her own faction while avoiding Samuel’s notice amid the relentless political warfare of the Imperial Family.
She understood what Shane meant.
Shadows.
Below the ground.
And within the Allied Nations, there happened to be a city that could be called humanity’s shadow.
The Underground City beneath their feet.
Moreover—
One member of the Judgment Knight Order had recently died at the estate of Count Salier, who had controlled one of the major factions within the Underground City.
Publicly, and even within the Imperial Family, the incident was known as yet another case of the Judgment Knight Order correcting the darkness of the Empire.
Even Olicia had felt that something about the matter was suspicious.
Still, she had believed the general outline of the official account was probably correct.
But after hearing Shane now—
Something began to feel wrong.
‘Count Salier once operated a well-known merchant company. House Clayton also operates a massive trading company.’
And now a son of House Clayton was engaged to the young lady of the Judgment Knight Order.
Could she really dismiss all of that as coincidence?
Olicia certainly could not.
This was undoubtedly valuable information.
If she could uncover evidence that the Judgment Knight Order was entangled with the Underground City—
It would certainly harm the name of the Imperial Family.
But at the same time, it would place an enormous weakness in her hands.
The Judgment Knight Order was one of the largest forces acting as her brother’s hands and feet.
‘But why is he telling me this?’
Olicia’s thoughts became increasingly tangled.
The information was unquestionably valuable.
But the person giving it to her was Shane himself, one of the parties directly involved.
What purpose did he have in telling her this?
She could not recklessly trust him when she could not even determine whether he was an enemy or an ally.
Yet neither could she simply ignore the information.
It was possible Samuel had created this trap specifically to ensnare her.
‘But would he really gamble the Judgment Knight Order on it?’
That was not the kind of wager the cunning Samuel would make.
At the very least, Samuel still did not underestimate Olicia’s influence within the Imperial Family enough to risk something like that.
As her thoughts spun rapidly for the first time in quite a while, Shane spoke again.
“I know someone who would be useful in matters like this. A man capable of sitting still and seeing the world a thousand li away.”
“……Pardon?”
“Meet the second son of House Bernstein. And make certain you recruit him. He is by no means easy to handle, so do not lower your guard around him.”
“What do you……”
“I will take my leave, then. When next we meet, I hope we can face one another in more truthful forms.”
Before Olicia could ask what he meant, already overwhelmed by everything else she had been given to think about, Shane left.
Alone on the terrace, Olicia ruffled her neatly arranged hair.
“Haah. This is difficult. Far too difficult.”
She had come hoping to catch herself a promising talent.
Instead, Shane had unexpectedly handed her a mountain of homework.
Olicia picked up the wineglass he had left behind, drained it in a single motion, then straightened her posture and looked toward the moon in the sky.
‘Brother Chloe…… Why did you have to leave so early? This is all so difficult for Olicia. Everything. All of it.’
Whenever life became difficult, she remembered her eldest brother—
The one who had looked at her not with a smile like a mask, but with genuine warmth and compassion.
